How did china rise to be …

Two consecutive periods in recent Chinese history that have had an impact on China's rise are The Great Leap Forward (1958 - 1961) and The Cultural Revolution (c.1962 - 1976). These periods were much more destructive than productive at the time, with tens of millions of Chinese dying, but they did instil a sense of toeing the party line in the Chinese people. The resultant joined-up thinking has impacted positively, for the most part, on China's ability to build joined-up infrastructure and hard collective work. The 2015 World Athletics Championships were hosted by Beijing, and the cameras were full of stunning shots of glitzy architecture and hi-tech infrastructure - just Google "Beijing Architecture" to find some awe-inspiring images. Other key factors in catalysing Chinese growth include smooth leadership transitions, increasing openness to trade, and fairly sound macroeconomic management.

As China's growth rate has fallen recently, down to more earthly levels and away from the astonishing double-digit growth, the Chinese government has been trying to tackle some of the internal issues that continue to hold China back. So, for example, the government's most recent economic plan wants 15% of energy in China to come from renewable sources by 2025, and they have also begun to clamp down on corruption by Communist Party officials. That said, there is still a long way to go in terms of upholding human rights.