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DENG XIAOPING was barely five feet tall, but China\u2019s late ruler was a political giant. He was a leading figure in the Communist revolution and a hard-nosed Leninist. Yet, as ruler, he launched market-oriented reforms and opened China up to the world. On August 22nd, the 120th anniversary of Deng\u2019s birth, China\u2019s current leader, Xi Jinping, lauded his \u201cextraordinary life”.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
As if grabbing Deng\u2019s mantle, Mr Xi also said that China should deepen its commitment to the reform-and-opening agenda. That has led to grumbling from many observers. Much of what Mr Xi has done during his 12 years in power flies in the face of Deng\u2019s legacy.<\/p>\n
Deng\u2019s most important reform was to reduce the role of the state in the economy and encourage private enterprise. The party should allow \u201csome people to get rich first”, he said. Compare that with Mr Xi, who has reined in market forces and reinstituted a state-dominated growth model. His \u201ccommon prosperity” campaign aims to chasten billionaires and reduce inequality.<\/p>\n
Differences between the two leaders can also be seen in the political realm. Deng called for separation in the functions of the Communist Party and the government. He also extolled the notion of \u201ccollective leadership”, with big decisions made by consensus. Mr Xi, in contrast, has reimposed one-man rule. The party, meanwhile, is an ever-growing presence in everyday life.<\/p>\n
When Deng was in charge, China was still poor and relatively weak. So, in foreign affairs, he argued for keeping a low profile. Now China is more powerful\u2014and Mr Xi more assertive. Deng\u2019s eldest son, Deng Pufang, made headlines in 2018 with a speech that was widely seen as an attack on Mr Xi\u2019s increasingly ambitious foreign policy. China should \u201cknow its place” in the world and not be \u201coverbearing”, he said.<\/p>\n
In one area, at least, Mr Xi is aligned with Deng. The late ruler reportedly thought Mikhail Gorbachev was an \u201cidiot” for allowing the Soviet Communist Party to lose its grip on power. In 1989, when confronted with big pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square, Deng ordered troops to crush the demonstrations, at the cost of hundreds if not thousands of lives.<\/p>\n
Chinese leaders seldom talk about that episode. But Mr Xi made an exception in his remarks on August 22nd. \u201cAt the critical juncture, Comrade Deng Xiaoping led the party and the people to stand firmly against turmoil and resolutely defend the power of the socialist state.” Few doubt that Mr Xi, if faced with a similar challenge to the party\u2019s rule, would act as forcefully.<\/p>\n
\u00a9 2024, The Economist Newspaper Ltd. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com<\/i><\/p>\n
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