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| The portrait of late Chinese leader Mao Zedong is seen on Tiananmen Gate, which is covered during renovation works, in Beijing, China, in this May 2019 file photo. Reuters-Yonhap |
'China 1949' tells the story of lingering fallout of Chinese civil war on East Asia and beyond
By Kang Hyun-kyung
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| Graham Hutchings, author of "China 1949: Year of Revolution" / Courtesy of Graham Hutchings |
Calling 1949 "a decisive year" in China's modern history, the British scholar claimed that China and the world still live in the shadow of China's 1946-49 civil war that resulted in the establishment of the Chinese Communist Party.
"Unfortunately, the Chinese civil war, so far from being over, might flare up again. And that is a matter that will affect not just the Chinese people but all those in East Asia and indeed beyond," he said during a recent Korea Times interview.
Hutchings argued the three-year civil war in China between the Nationalist government led by Chiang Kai-shek and the communists under the leadership of Mao Zedong did not reach a conclusive ending.
"There are still two Chinas. Beijing won't allow that to continue for much longer," he said. "So 1949 is a year that casts a long shadow."
In "China 1949," the author zeroes in on two key historical figures in modern Chinese history ― Mao and Chiang ― and their struggles and clashes in their respective efforts to revolutionize or modernize China under their visions.
Hutchings observes that the two leaders had much in common.
"Intelligent, resourceful, determined, they both immersed themselves in the struggle to change China for the better, which dominated much of the political life of their country in the early decades of the twentieth century. Both were shamed by their country's weaknesses and both were determined to do something about it, often at great personal risk. They fought on the same side for a while, rallying to the cause of National Revolution in the early 1920s championed by Sun Yat-sen, leader of the 'recognized' GM, and backed by the Soviet Union," his book reads.
Despite their common traits, Mao and Chiang were pitted against each other with regards to their visions for the future of the country. "Yet doctrinally and in terms of their visions for the future of their country, the two men were miles apart. And while they both possessed extraordinary will power, confidence and sense of mission, it was to very different ends. Ultimately, it was communism that divided them," the author explains.
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| "China 1949: Year of Revolution" published by Bloomsbury Academic |
"Mao also won because Chiang was unable to manage the economy or rally many of the general public to his cause," he said.
Mao has resurfaced in the media recently as Chinese President Xi Jinping tried to solidify his power by taking a set of rare measures. In October 2018, the Chinese Communist Party members unanimously passed an amendment to include Xi's political thought, namely Xi Jingping Thought, in its constitution, making him the first Chinese leader to have his political thought enshrined in the state constitution while in office since Mao. This measure signifies that those who challenge Xi will be seen as a threat to the Communist Party.
Xi is reportedly believed to be the strongest Chinese leader since Mao.
Asked if he could compare Xi and Mao, Hutchings was skeptical about whether such efforts would have any merit.
"I am not very keen on this kind of analogy between Mao and Xi," he said. "Both men are/were very powerful. But they live/lived in different times with different priorities. If Mao could see the nature of China today he would be horrified ― it would show that capitalism had won, despite the 1949 revolution."
Hutchings warned of an uncertain future for Taiwan and Hong Kong, claiming that their fates will fall further into the grip of China as time goes by, and this situation in turn will affect regional security.
He said that China's leaders won't sit back much longer regarding the "two Chinas" and that the "one country, two systems" stance in Hong Kong is doomed.
"Despite the change of sovereignty in 1997, the situation with regard to Hong Kong's autonomy remained unchanged until last year, when Xi Jinping's government decided it had to be brought to heel and the nature of its politics and society changed to become more like that of the Mainland," he said. "In that respect, I regard the one country, two systems future that Beijing promised after 1997 to be seriously compromised."
Published by Bloomsbury Academic in January, "China 1949" is the result of Hutchings' years of work. He said he thought that, "what happened in China during 1949 was a major political, geopolitical and human story that deserved a wider audience," and that students and general readers would find his book informative.
