To what extent had China become a global power by 1976?

The question requires that candidates consider the merits or otherwise of the claim that China had become a global power by 1976. Candidates may begin their response by considering China’s international position when Mao came to power in 1949. They may then address China’s involvement in conflicts, relations with other nations and developments in trade to measure the extent of its power by 1976. For example, candidates may refer to China’s involvement in the Korean War during which the PLA was able to successfully push back UN forces. Candidates may discuss China’s relations with the USSR and argue that the Sino-Soviet split is evidence of China standing up on its own. China’s development of its first atom bomb, despite the Soviet’s refusal to help, is a further example of this. Candidates may also discuss China’s involvement in the Non-Alignment Movement, its improved relations with the US and eventual acceptance into the UN, development of trade as examples of China’s increasing global influence. This is a broad question and whilst candidates are not expected to cover all events, there should be good coverage of the time period up to the 1970s. Candidates’ opinions or conclusions will be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.

The question required that candidates consider the merits or otherwise of the claim that China had become a global power by 1976. This was a broad question that did allow candidates to consider various aspects of China's development that led to it becoming a global power. Stronger responses seen were focused on China's foreign policy and international relations. Many candidates wrote in depth about the impact of Sino-Soviet relations, the Korean War and the ongoing tensions with Taiwan. However, coverage of the whole time period given in the question was limited, with many of the responses focusing solely on the 1950s. Factors such as the Cultural Revolution could have been used as examples of domestic policies damaging China's relations with the western world. However, many candidates failed to focus on the issue of China becoming a global power and the weakest responses were little more than a narrative of Mao's leadership of China.