About the Course
| Course number | HIST 72.06 / ASCL 67.11 |
| Distributives | INT or SOC + NW |
| Time | MWF 2:10-3:15, Th 1:20-2:10 |
| Classroom | Carson 060 |
| Instructor | Yi Lu |
| Office | Carson 205 |
| Office Hour | Monday, 3:30-5:30 |
| Phone | 603-646-0156 |
Course Description
China today presents a major paradox: a capitalist economy led by a single-party state. The Chinese Communist Party has oscillated between welcoming private entrepreneurs and foreign companies and slamming the door shut with equal force. Businesses have flourished despite — or perhaps because of — rampant official corruption, regulatory uncertainties, and relentless geopolitical friction. And while fears of an economic “hard landing” persist, China is also home to some of the world’s most innovative and influential companies, achieving growth without significant political liberalization — at least so far.
How have Chinese businesses navigated, adapted, and thrived in such a fluid environment? Conversely, what can these enterprises reveal about China — its people, governance, and culture? This course explores modern China and its global impact through the prism of its business history over the past two centuries. It was a period marked by cycles of prosperity and decline: In 1800, the Qing Dynasty stood as the world’s wealthiest and largest empire. Yet, a century of internal strife and foreign imperialism plunged it into ruin. By 1949, when the People’s Republic of China was established, much of the country lay in shambles, its population largely illiterate, and its economy still reliant on traditional farming. Determined to forge a modern, powerful nation, the Chinese Communist Party embarked on building a socialist economy, nationalizing land, abolishing private property, and pursuing self-sufficiency. The result was a tumultuous mix of disasters and revolutions, but also the seeds of a distinct model of party-state capitalism. Since the 1970s, China’s rise – the fastest sustained expansion by a major economy in history – has come to define the contours of our world order today.
This course delves into this complex history using a wealth of historical sources, interactive discussions, and site visits. Progressing chronologically, we will examine a diverse array of actors: from traditional family firms to foreign traders, tech giants to everyday entrepreneurs and workers. Each session will employ a case-study approach, focusing on a specific problem tied to a time, place, organization, commodity, or idea, allowing for nuanced, multi-dimensional exploration. Collectively, these studies will illuminate how modern China crafted institutions and practices that uniquely fused capitalism and socialism, localism and globalism — a hybrid model that has proven remarkably effective in generating wealth and power, even as it spawns new cycles of social and political conflicts.
Today, China is the world’s largest economy by purchasing power parity, its top manufacturer, its leading merchandise trader, and the holder of the largest foreign exchange reserves. Yet its future is fraught with uncertainty amid domestic crackdowns, trade wars, demographic shifts, and the looming effects of climate change. Will China lead? Has it already peaked? Only a deep historical perspective can shed light on its trajectory. By the end of this course, you will be equipped to make informed judgments — not only about China but also about the broader history of capital, labor, technology, and power across the globe.
Learning Goals
By the end of the class, you will be able to:
- discuss key issues and broad trends shaping Chinese business history since 1800 and their present-day relevance;
- evaluate scholarly arguments, policy decisions, and public debates concerning China and its relations with the world;
- develop independent research skills using a diverse set of primary sources – texts, statistics, images, material objects, films, etc.;
- communicate your arguments in a variety of media and formats, ranging from critical essay to op-ed to oral presentation.