To what extent have the United States and Chinese followed similar paths to power since World War Two?

World War Two was a time of trauma for every nation involved. It prevented overall economic growth, specifically for countries that were barely developing industrially, such as China. This is why both of its leaders, Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, established economic, political and cultural reforms after WWII to keep up with the rest of the world. It had to keep up with the USA who had just gained a superpower status. The US was a growing superpower by the end of WWII whereas China fought with man-made disasters as well as natural disasters. The US and China did not follow the same paths to power but can be compared economically, politically and socially.

Economic: By the end of WWII the US was already economically powerful whereas China was struggling to compete with the economic leaders. For example, the US had the Truman doctrine and the Marshall plan whilst China was just putting in place the Great leap forward 10 years later.

Political: The US was gaining the title of ‘policeman of the world’ and China was re-appropriating its political ideals. For example, the US had all the conferences (Yalta & Potsdam 1945) whilst Mao Zedong sought to enforce communism in the country by removing capitalist, traditional and cultural elements from Chinese society: They were still in transition. 

socially: Mostly, the US had to establish laws that would fight against discrimination because there were movements that were bringing to light the social issues in America such as civil rights, women’s rights, gay rights. China’s social power greatly improved but there is still a problem of uneven prosperity that exists to this day.