In the 19th century China had lost wars to Britain and Japan and its territory was being divided up into spheres of influence by the major European powers and Japan. It was still ruled by the Manchu or Qing dynasty, an absolute monarchy.

In the 20th century, China emerged as a major world power. The monarchy was abolished in 1911 and a republic was founded. The republic was weak and Japan was able to dominate. It added much of Chinese territory to its empire prior to and during World War II.

After the war the Chinese communist defeated the nationalists and founded a people's republic. This republic remained communist while Mao Zedong, its leader, was still alive. When he died in 1976, China moved towards a free market and today has one of the largest and most prosperous economies