Though he stood at about 5ft (152cm), Deng Xiaoping was a towering figure who ended China’s isolation and built an economic powerhouse. He embraced Marxism while working in France but was always a pragmatist, helping to undo some of the disastrous reforms of Mao Zedong’s Great Leap Forward. It prompted perhaps his most famous remark: “I don’t care if the cat is black or white, so long as it catches mice.”
Purged twice by Mao, he rebounded after the chairman’s death, outmanoeuvring the chosen heir to lead China for more than a decade. He opened the country to the outside world, building diplomatic ties and backing economic reforms - from the break-up of communes to the creation of special economic zones - which often seized on local initiatives.
For many, the bloody crackdown on Tiananmen Square protesters in 1989 overshadows his economic legacy. The demonstrations almost undermined it, too, with orthodox Maoists blaming the instability wrought by reforms and putting the brakes on.
But in 1992, Deng launched what was to be his last major initiative, embarking on his “southern tour” of China to promote economic reform and entrepreneurship.
He died five years later, aged 92, with the country set firmly on its capitalist course.
1 comment:
Though he stood at about 5ft (152cm), Deng Xiaoping was a towering figure who ended China’s isolation and built an economic powerhouse. He embraced Marxism while working in France but was always a pragmatist, helping to undo some of the disastrous reforms of Mao Zedong’s Great Leap Forward. It prompted perhaps his most famous remark: “I don’t care if the cat is black or white, so long as it catches mice.”
Purged twice by Mao, he rebounded after the chairman’s death, outmanoeuvring the chosen heir to lead China for more than a decade. He opened the country to the outside world, building diplomatic ties and backing economic reforms - from the break-up of communes to the creation of special economic zones - which often seized on local initiatives.
For many, the bloody crackdown on Tiananmen Square protesters in 1989 overshadows his economic legacy. The demonstrations almost undermined it, too, with orthodox Maoists blaming the instability wrought by reforms and putting the brakes on.
But in 1992, Deng launched what was to be his last major initiative, embarking on his “southern tour” of China to promote economic reform and entrepreneurship.
He died five years later, aged 92, with the country set firmly on its capitalist course.
Post a Comment