Abstract in English:
The Chinese empire prospered during the middle ages, albeit largely isolated from the rest of the World. This isolation had a side effect though, as China completely missed the opportunity of the Industrial Revolution. At its peak, near the beginning of the 19th century, China accounted for almost one third of the global economy. However, after the defeat from the British, during the two Opium Wars, the Chinese Empire and its economy collapsed to a mere 5% contribution to global GDP, by the mid 20th century. It remained near this level until Deng Xiaoping assumed power in 1977 and began growing ever since. Now this contribution exceeds 17%, a level similar to the one it had in 1870, indicating an economic cycle closing after more than a century.
