In Lesson 8, titled “China’s Way to Progress,” Galeazzo Santini reflects on the dramatic shift in global perceptions of China. For over two decades, China was largely forgotten and misunderstood, often confused with a small island. However, a sudden awakening occurred, drawing attention to one-fourth of humanity residing in the world’s third-largest country. Santini notes the contrast between China’s “smile policy” and the Western world’s warm embrace, symbolized by numerous official visits to Peking.
The influx of visitors to China has become so extensive that the elderly Chinese leader, Chou En-Lai, is overwhelmed with handshakes and blinded by the constant flashing of official souvenir photographers. The growing queue of countries eager to recognize the People’s Republic of China reflects a heightened awareness of past neglect and a potential political guilt complex for excluding China from the U.N. for an extended period.
Santini observes that China has become a global fashion, with even conservative politicians seeking to rebuild their careers by praising Mao Tse-Tung. The author emphasizes the need to consider China’s Asiatic background and painful colonial history when attempting to understand the country. Despite the Communist takeover in 1949, many parts of China continued their traditional ways, maintaining an early Iron Age economy for over 2,000 years.