This paper presents an empirical case study on the expansion of education in China (excluding Taiwan) since the foundation of the People's Republic of China in 1949 to 1995. The study uses an estimation of the national primary school enrollment rates from 1949-1951 and that in the period of "the Cultural Revolution," and uses the available official statistics of China in other years. The paper argues that currently available theories about expansion of education, mainly based on the observation of western countries, cannot be well applied to this general pattern. Factors influencing China's unique educational development include economics, politics, and public policy. The paper offers an exploratory view of the general pattern of educational development and its implications for the future. (Contains 25 references.) (EH)