I wonder where China is going from now on.

【Toxic melamine is found in baby formula manufactured in China】 The year of 2008 was a big and hard year to China. It had glory and suffering to China.

【Beijing hosts the 29th Summer Olympics】

【An earthquake in Sichuan kills at least 70,000 people】

【Tibetan riots mark the 49th anniversary of the failed 1959 uprising】

【Tainted pet food made in China leads to worldwide recalls of Chinese products for health and safety reasons】 It gave a very bad image to Chinese products.

【The massive Three Gorges Dam is completed】 The dam had received nationwide media attention.

【The Falun Gong, a religious sect, is banned for “advocating superstition” and “jeopardizing social stability”】 It expressed that communism is still superior to religion.

【Hong Kong returns to Chinese sovereignty】 Owners and cooks of the Good Chinese restaurants escaped from Hong Kong. So now, we can have very good Chinese foods in Vancouver.

【China’s leaders violently suppress the Tiananmen protests】 Communism doesn’t like the movement of freedom. Economy itself would like to get free. It might be paradoxical between communism and free economy.

【Deng Xiaoping visits the former fishing village of Shenzhen, soon to become an emblem of China’s resurgence】 The era of “economy” started. China has been having very speedy economic growth since then.

【Mao dies. The Gang of Four is arrested a month later for their role in the now reviled Cultural Revolution】 The era of revolution ended finally. I guessed that many people in China felt relieved.

【U.S. President Richard Nixon arrives in China, leading to the eventual normalization of diplomatic relations】 President Nixon chose China rather than Taiwan. One of the reasons is that the U.S. had strong competition against the Soviet …

【The U.N. recognizes the PRC, while Taiwan loses its seat】 It was a serious loss for the diplomacy of Taiwan. Taiwan also should remain in the U.N. as an independent country.