Emperor Xi Jinping

The leader of China's Communist Party has been in the news for consolidating his authority. At the same time the general direction of democracy in the world has been backward. But China has a five-thousand year history of being ruled by emperors, not by presidents or prime ministers.

China is the most populous country in the world. It has a history of being diverse and holding it together is no easy task.

In the Middle East and Near East great civilizations grew up around three major rivers. These rivers are the Nile, the Tigris-Euphrates and, the Indus. In the Far East civilizations also grew up around three major rivers. These rivers are the Pearl, the Yangtze and, the Hwang-Ho. But the civilizations around these three rivers all became part of one country. That country is China.

Maybe we should review China's history to see why it's best times have been when it has been ruled by strong emperors and why Xi Jinping is in the role of current emperor.

China's history also explains the present situation of Taiwan. The Ming Dynasty withdrew to Taiwan after it's defeat by the succeeding Qing Dynasty. This history was repeated, in the late 1940s, by the Nationalists, or Koumintang, after their defeat on the mainland by the Communists.

The dynasties of Imperial China are generally considered as having ended with the 1911 Xinhua Revolution. But I see the Nationalists and Communists as really dynasties also, except that the leadership succession is not hereditary.

I can remember from childhood when U.S. President Richard Nixon met with Chairman Mao in the Great Hall of the People. That was the beginning of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and China, after the Communists had triumphed. Who could have imagined that someday "Made in China" would be written everywhere.

Here is a link to "The Story Of China":

www.markmeeksideas.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-story-of-china.html?m=0