On Tue, 14 Jun 2005 03:38:07 GMT, " George"
For the same reasons that any European power and Japan could walk in and dismember the China starting with the opium wars. The Manchu Chinese government made the mistake if rejecting western industrialization and with that the industry that made modern war possible. China asked for help but instead of help those imperial powers took the opportunity to plunder further until the advent of WWII when they found themselves at war against the Axis powers. The US helped KMT China as part of the grand strategy to tie down Japan until it could build up its war production to defeat Germany first then Japan. By any measure it was a very successful strategy. But it was never one that put the development of China into its plan.
China's population was then 500 millions desbreastute and ignorant peasants ruled by totally corrupt KMT warlords. The KMT was still the official government of China then and the political reality was that even Russia paid only lip service to its ideological allies the CCP and gave aid only to the KMT.
It wasn't until the close of WWII that Russia sent its armies to the Far East to defeat the Japanese and took the opportunity to plunder the industrial buttets in Manchuria. The Russians withdrew to allow the CCP forces to defeat the KMT in Manchuria but did not buttsist otherwise. There was US marine force in Manchuria supporting the KMT during that time but wisely stopped at providing troop transportation and supplies as it soon realised that it would have been ground to mincemeat in a civil war that involved millions and few rules of engagement.
The key argument to rebut you original position is the CCP had to overcome enormous odds and opposition in its revolution and owes nothing to anyone for its achievements.
