anniversary comes at a challenging time a trade war with the united states is threatening the economy and pro-democracy protests in hong kong loom in the background the leadership in beijing is determined that nothing should distract from the historical events which set china on the road to the global power it is today. october the 1st $949.00 mao tse-tung proclaims the founding of the people's republic of china and gentleman square that ended decades of civil war pitting chairman mao's communists against nationalists mao transformed the feudal society his great leap forward collectivized industry and agriculture and sent unreachable targets the result catastrophic famine and the deaths of tens of millions facing criticism out launched his cultural revolution in 1966 thousands of opponents was sent to camps or executed. after decades of isolation china took steps to open up to the