The People’s Republic of China 151
and skilled workers, the country’s economic takeoff may have been the
most important single world event in the last half of the twentieth cen-
tury. In 2004, China produced 325,000 engineers, fi ve times the num-
ber produced in the United States.
In its capitalist form, albeit with a one-party political system, China
has much more impact on American life than Mao Zedong ever did. By
mobilizing its vast workforce to become the manufacturing capital of
the world, China is now creating tremendous new demand and thus
driving up prices for the world’s natural resources, including oil, rubber,
timber, cotton, and all types of precious metals. While Chinese workers
replace American workers in manufacturing jobs, Chinese productiv-
ity has had a profound impact in lowering prices on a vast array of
consumer goods.^10 China’s rise also has profound implications for the
global environment, as China is competing with the United States to
lead the world in emission of carbon dioxide gases.
There are many uncertainties in China’s future. Its population
continues to grow, despite a one-child policy since 1979. With at least
Nanjing Road in Shanghai is the busiest shopping street in China, with an
estimated 1.7 million visitors on a single weekend day. Whether or not that fi gure
is accurate, the density of Chinese shoppers on Nanjing Road reminds us that
China in the fi rst decade of the twenty-fi rst century has by far the world’s largest
middle class. Photo by Brad Stern