45 million died in Mao's Great Leap Forward, Hong Kong historian says in new book (original) (raw)

At least 45 million people died unnecessary deaths during China's Great Leap Forward from 1958 to 1962, including 2.5 million tortured or summarily killed, according to a new book by a Hong Kong scholar.

Mao's Great Famine traces the story of how Mao Zedong's drive for absurd targets for farm and industrial production and the reluctance of anyone to challenge him created the conditions for the countryside to be emptied of grain and millions of farmers left to starve. It is due to be published by Bloomsbury tomorrow.

The shortages were exacerbated by Mao's insistence on repaying debts to the Soviet Union and other communist countries - in the form of foodstuffs - years before he needed to and donating them to Third World countries as foreign aid.

The author is Frank Dikotter, chair professor of humanities at the University of Hong Kong and professor of the modern history of China on leave from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London.

The book estimates a death toll nine million higher than the 36 million given in Tombstone, the last major work on the subject published in 2008 by Yang Jisheng, a senior reporter for Xinhua. An English translation is due to appear this year.