China’s Economy in the Post-Civil War Era, 1949 – 1978

Abstract

The economy of China has been subjected to a lot of scholarly inquiries by professionals of different shades of life, especially economists, sociologists, historians, and political scientists, among others. In most cases, their studies emphasised the contributions of China to the development of different regions or countries while giving scanty attention to post-civil war China’s economy. In this wise, this study intervenes to narrow the existing historiographical gap on the subject. To achieve this, with the aid of secondary sources, the study investigates the historical causes of China’s civil war. The implications of post-civil war China’s economic policies for the growth of China have been analysed. The setbacks encountered in the implementation of these policies are also brought under consideration. The paper highlights the importance of understanding this period of China’s economic history, as it marked a watershed in the economic development of China. It attempts a recap of the main argument and concludes that the landmarks of these policies overshadowed the challenges.