China was poorer than Sudan in 1949. Now it has more millionaires than the EU

Produced by: Manoj Kumar

Starving Superpower

In 1949, China’s GDP per capita was just $50. Life expectancy? 36. It was poorer than Sudan. Today it outpaces the EU in millionaires. What the hell happened in between?

Famine Fallout

The Great Leap Forward wasn’t just a failed policy—it triggered the deadliest famine in recorded history. Pots turned into steel. Crops vanished. 3 crore lives were lost. Mao’s dream became a nightmare.

Cat Doctrine

Deng Xiaoping didn’t chant slogans—he rewired an economy. “Black cat, white cat”—he didn’t care. As long as it caught mice. That quote launched a $19 trillion transformation.

Shenzhen Shock

In 1980, it was a fishing village. By 2024, Shenzhen’s economy matched Sweden’s. Deng’s Special Economic Zones turned empty coastlines into global hubs in just four decades.

Export Blitz

Cheap labor. Brutal infrastructure. “Made in China” became the world’s label. Between 2001 and 2011, China added a France-sized economy to its GDP every single year.

WTO Jackpot

Joining the WTO in 2001 was China’s real cheat code. Exports exploded. Foreign money poured in. Over 400 million people escaped poverty. Global trade would never be the same.

Factory to Founder

From assembling gadgets to building them—Alibaba, Tencent, Huawei: China shifted from imitation to innovation. Silicon Valley had a new challenger—and it was state-backed.

Dual Doctrine

COVID and sanctions forced a pivot. “Dual Circulation” was the new playbook—boost exports and build internal consumption. China became not just a factory, but a fortress.

Chained Dragon

$19 trillion strong—but at what cost? Surveillance, censorship, crumbling birth rates, and a bloated property sector. The rise was real—but the restraints are, too.