@btnewsroom: On October 1, 1949, Mao Zedong stood in Tiananmen Square in front of 300,000 people and declared the founding of the People's Republic of China. This would mark the end of China's "Century of Humiliation" and usher in a new chapter of self-determination. But in 1949, China faced seemingly insurmountable challenges: Average life expectancy was only 35 years of age, infant mortality was sky high, and the illiteracy rate was a staggering 80%. Professor of East Asian and Global History Ken Hammond discusses the massive gains in health, literacy, education, and industrial capacity overseen by the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people themselves during the three decades following the revolution. Hammond notes that these years would lay the groundwork for China's "economic miracle" ushered in by Deng Xiaoping's Reform and Opening Up period. Watch full episodes of The China Report at breakthroughnews.org.

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Thursday 01 October 2026 13:48:42 GMT

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Comments

NovaScordatura :

This is possible because of distribution of wealth and government stability.

2026-10-01 16:47:11

YummyGummy :

Impossible is too strong a work. They would still have been able to lay the foundational work in the 80s if that's what it took.

2026-10-02 04:34:34

hi it's ali :

Between 1950-1980, China experienced the most rapid sustained life expectancy in human history. Life expectancy went from ~37 years to 65.5 years. That was a victory of socialism.

2026-10-01 15:19:36

J :

From the ashes they rose. Despite interference from the west and crimes from Japan, they came back and built themselves back up. It wasn’t pretty but a century of pain and embarrassment will do that to a people.

2026-10-01 23:57:55

reder :

我们中国人对自己的人命其实不那么在乎，只求死的有价值，汉武帝为了对抗匈奴让当时的中国人民死了几乎减半，所有人都穷困潦倒，但中国称赞贤明皇帝时，依然是，秦皇汉武，唐宗宋祖这四个皇帝。所以，你们的指责没用，我们不在乎他是不是在乎人命，我们在乎的是他是不是无能。

2026-10-02 21:40:49

Curry_SF :

1949 China was liberated of foreign powers , it was not a wreck

2026-10-03 02:09:52

Dave :

China government killed millions of people

2026-10-01 14:11:26

Farmgirl1991 :

Hey everyone, the quality of life for China has only improved, while the U.S. has only worsened since 1980.

2026-10-02 05:34:15

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