The unification of China is a complex and ongoing process and has been the result of several large-scale campaigns and movements over the course of centuries. In 2000, the Government of the People’s Republic of China declared that it had achieved “complete and effective reunification” after the establishment of the Central People’s Government in 1949.
The first major effort to unify China was spearheaded by Qin Shi Huang in 221 BCE, when he managed to conquer and consolidate six warring states into one entity. This began the Qin Dynasty, during which the famous Great Wall was constructed and harsh penal codes instituted. The reign of the Qin was short-lived and was followed by the Han Dynasty, which lasted a few hundred years longer than the Qin and oversaw the expansion of Chinese rule across East Asia. During this period, Confucianism became the official state ideology, which influenced Chinese culture and politics for centuries after. After the fall of the Han, several other dynasties rose and fell until the year 589, when the Sui Dynasty reunited China for the second time. During the Sui and subsequent Tang Dynasty, numerous important inventions were produced and Buddhism began to spread throughout China.
The next major movement for unification came in the form of the Mongol conquest of China, led by Kublai Khan, in 1279. The Mongols created a new political entity, the Yuan Dynasty, with Chinese territories extending from Tibet to Korea. The Mongol Empire was eventually overthrown by the Ming Dynasty in 1368, which saw a further expansion of Chinese control and a revival of Confucian teachings. The Ming was overthrown in 1644 by the Manchus, who established the Qing Dynasty. This time period also saw a further spread of Chinese culture and goods, most notably tea.
The 19th century saw a decline in Chinese power and influence due to the loss of the Opium Wars and increased contact with the West. This period was marked by intense civil wars and foreign invasions, as well as the rise of the Taiping Rebellion, which sought to overthrow the Qing Dynasty. Finally, in 1911, the last emperor abdicated and the imperial system was abolished.
In the wake of its collapse, several regional warlords vied for power and independence. In 1927, a military leader named Chiang Kai-shek formed the Guomindang party, which eventually secured control of China’s government in Nanjing. Soon after, Mao Zedong began his own revolutionary movement, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which gained support from the rural population. In 1949, the CCP declared victory and established the Central People’s Government. This new regime undertook a massive social and economic reform program, known as the ‘Great Leap Forward’, which helped modernize China’s economy and establish its sovereignty.
Since then, the CCP has continued to strengthen its hold over China and has sought to unify the nation under its rule. In 2000, the Government of the People’s Republic of China declared that it had achieved “complete and effective reunification”, and since then, China has become one of the world’s most powerful nations, with a rapidly developing economy and increasing influence in world affairs.