China was subjugated by the great western powers for over a century, through no fault of their own: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_of_humiliation. The Germans started and lost a war and were humiliated for about 15 years before the Nazis showed up. The twentieth century in China is mostly defined by the struggle for national liberation.
The beginning of the end of Chinese humiliation was the Xinhai revolution in 1911. The CPC and KMT were both children of this national bourgeois revolution against the Qing and both wanted to reverse this humiliation and return China to its rightful role as an independent and important state. The difference between the two visions of China held by the successors of Sun Yat-Sen lead to a civil war in which the communist vision ultimately prevailed. The state-buliding project started by Sun Yat-Sen was continued by the CPC, and has been fruitful despite numerous setbacks and mistakes. While there are good criticisms of the CPC's actions they have ultimately resulted in a great increase in the standard of living for the Chinese people. The Chinese people recognize that whatever its faults, shortcomings and excesses the CPC has helped return their country to its rightful place in the world and created a more prosperous and stable society.
China was subjugated by the great western powers for over a century, through no fault of their own: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_of_humiliation. The Germans started and lost a war and were humiliated for about 15 years before the Nazis showed up. The twentieth century in China is mostly defined by the struggle for national liberation.
The beginning of the end of Chinese humiliation was the Xinhai revolution in 1911. The CPC and KMT were both children of this national bourgeois revolution against the Qing and both wanted to reverse this humiliation and return China to its rightful role as an independent and important state. The difference between the two visions of China held by the successors of Sun Yat-Sen lead to a civil war in which the communist vision ultimately prevailed. The state-buliding project started by Sun Yat-Sen was continued by the CPC, and has been fruitful despite numerous setbacks and mistakes. While there are good criticisms of the CPC's actions they have ultimately resulted in a great increase in the standard of living for the Chinese people. The Chinese people recognize that whatever its faults, shortcomings and excesses the CPC has helped return their country to its rightful place in the world and created a more prosperous and stable society.