American Prestige Chinese Prestige: The Making of the PRC w/ Yidi Wu
Nov 28, 2025
In this discussion, guest Yidi Wu, an assistant professor of history specializing in modern China, delves into the tumultuous early years of the People's Republic of China. Wu unpacks the political campaigns following the Korean War, including the radical land reform and the harsh Anti-Rightist campaign. She highlights the shift to Soviet-style economic planning prioritizing heavy industry and the transformation of higher education. Additionally, the podcast explores China’s internal tensions and its evolving relationship with the U.S. amid the Sino-Soviet rift.
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Soviet Model Drove Early Industrial Push
- After the Korean War the PRC prioritized rapid economic recovery through Soviet-style five-year planning focused on heavy industry.
- The state directed massive investments into Manchuria and urban infrastructure to industrialize top-down from 1953–58.
Technocratic Universities Replaced Liberal Arts
- The CCP transformed higher education into a Soviet-style technocratic system that favored engineering over humanities.
- This shifted class composition and enabled upward mobility for workers and peasants into elite state roles.
Missionary Colleges Reborn Abroad
- U.S.-funded missionary colleges in China lost funding after the Korean War and were merged into state universities under the PRC.
- Alumni recreated institutions in Taiwan and Hong Kong, preserving educational traditions outside the mainland.
