The People’s Republic of China: 70 years of changesChina’s rise has been impressive by many standards. There is no clearer indication of the country's progress than its share of the world economy. Measured in purchasing power parity, China’s share of global GDP fell from an estimated 32 per cent in 1820 - when Qing dynasty emperor Daoguang began his reign - to a mere 5 per cent at the end of the Cultural Revolution in 1976.