Deng Xiaoping

Deng Xiaoping was a Chinese revolutionary and statesman who led the People's Republic of China from 1978 until the early 1990s. He is regarded as the chief architect of the reform and the opening that transformed the Chinese economy.

Early Life and Education

Deng was born in 1904 in Guang'an in the province of Sichuan. He studied in France under the work-study programme and joined the Communist movement there.

He studied in the Soviet Union and returned to China in 1927. He took part in the Long March and served as a political commissar.

He held important positions in the party and the government after 1949. He was purged twice during the Cultural Revolution.

The Rise to Power

Deng was rehabilitated in 1977 after the death of Mao Zedong. He became the paramount leader of the party and the state.

He introduced the policy of the reform and the opening in 1978. The policy shifted the focus from the class struggle to the economic development.

He promoted the household responsibility system in the countryside. The reform increased the agricultural production and the income of the farmers.

He established the special economic zones to attract the foreign investment. The zones became the engines of the export-led growth.

The Reform and the Development

Deng encouraged the development of the market economy within the socialist framework. He argued that it did not matter whether the cat was black or white so long as it caught the mice.

He reformed the state-owned enterprises and the price system. He promoted the science and the technology as the primary productive forces.

He resumed the diplomatic relations with the United States in 1979. He visited the United States and met President Carter.

He negotiated the return of Hong Kong to China with the United Kingdom. The Joint Declaration was signed in 1984 and the handover took place in 1997.

The Later Years and the Legacy

Deng stepped down from the last of his official posts in 1990. He continued to influence the policy until his death.

He made the southern tour in 1992 to reaffirm the commitment to the reform. The tour accelerated the economic development.

He died in 1997 in Beijing. He was succeeded by the leadership of Jiang Zemin and later of Hu Jintao and Xi Jinping.

He is regarded as the chief architect of the reform and the opening. The policy that he introduced transformed China into one of the largest economies in the world.

The Early Career

Deng took part in the Long March and served as a political commissar. He held important positions in the party and the army after 1949.

He was purged during the Cultural Revolution and sent to work in a factory. He returned to power in 1973 and again in 1977.

He became the paramount leader after the death of Mao. He directed the policy of the reform and the opening.

The Economic Reform

Deng introduced the household responsibility system in the countryside. The reform replaced the collective farming and increased the output.

He established the special economic zones in the coastal cities. The zones attracted the foreign investment and the technology.

He promoted the development of the private and the foreign enterprises. The reform transformed the economy of the country.

The Foreign Policy

Deng resumed the diplomatic relations with the United States in 1979. He visited the United States and met President Carter.

He negotiated the return of Hong Kong to China with the United Kingdom. The Joint Declaration was signed in 1984.

He promoted the policy of the peaceful coexistence and the non-interference. He maintained the relations with the neighbouring countries.

The Political Reforms

Deng reformed the system of the party and the state. He introduced the term limits and the collective leadership.

He promoted the rule of law and the institutional reform. He emphasised the importance of the stability and the development.

He made the southern tour in 1992 to reaffirm the reform. The tour accelerated the economic development.

The Historical Assessment

Deng is regarded as the chief architect of the reform and the opening. The policy that he introduced transformed China into one of the largest economies in the world.

He is credited with the pragmatic approach to the policy. The phrase about the cat that catches the mice expresses his pragmatism.

He is honoured as the great leader of the reform. His legacy is the subject of the continuing study and the debate.

The Personal Life

Deng was married three times and had several children. His son Deng Pufang was disabled during the Cultural Revolution.

He was an avid bridge player and a supporter of the football. He was known for his blunt manner and his sense of humour.

He died in 1997 in Beijing at the age of ninety-two. The nation mourned the leader who had transformed the country.

See also

• Economic reform
• Special economic zone
• People's Republic of China
• Socialism with Chinese characteristics