Dengs China

1
Dengs China

2
Deng Xiaoping

• Ruled China from 1978 until his death in 1997, he
  came to power with an ambitious programme for
  economic reform
• For most Chinese, Deng was the man who set the
  country on a pragmatic reformist course after
  decades of political upheaval.
• Although Mao Zedong might have been known as the
  Great Helmsman, Deng is seen as the architect of
  China's economic reforms

3
Modernising China

• Slogan To get rich is glorious, he
  encouraged people to run their own businesses and
  to enjoy the profits of their work
• He encouraged private investment in both
  agriculture and industry

4
Modernising China

• Deng opened up foreign trade and set the stage
  for the rapid development of China's coastal
  regions in the hope of kick-starting the whole
  economy.
• "Let some people get rich first," said Deng

5
Four Modernisations agriculture, industry,
defence and science and technology

• Dengs vision was to transform China from a
  backward nation into an industrial giant.
• He launched the Four Modernisations which brought
  wealth and prosperity to China by encouraging the
  West to invest and opening relations with the
  West through visits from western leaders and new
  imports.
• This was to end Chinas isolation

6
Special Economic Zones

• By 1980 SEZs allowed China to accept foreign
  investment to introduce new technology

• The SEZs brought much needed jobs, technical
  knowledge and revenue in return for tax
  concessions for investors

7
Changes to State owned factories

• Between 1985-1987 state owned factories were
  inefficient and heavily subsidised by the
  government
• Rural unemployment increased as the factories
  could not absorb the farmers freed from the
  collective system
• The end of the iron rice bowl affected workers
  as they were no longer guaranteed jobs, houses,
  benefits for life
• This angered the workers who would not risk
  becoming an entrepreneur and remained on fixed
  wages

8
Changes to agriculture

• The Deng reforms first freed agriculture from the
  shackles of collectivism.
• "It doesn't matter whether the cat is black or
  white as long as it catches the mouse," was one
  of his key slogans.

9
Changes to agriculture

• The Household Responsibility Programme produced
  bumper crops
• However by 1985 agricultural output was exploited
  to support the failing state owned enterprises
  reducing profits for farmers

• He replaced the commune system whereby everyone
  worked for each other with the RESPONSIBILITY
  SYSTEM
• Peasants are allowed to have their own land and
  sell their products and animals

10
Political Control

• Deng still kept political control and anti
  government protests were crushed by the PLA.
  Thousands were killed
• He will not be remembered for political reforms
  he ensured China remained a one party state e.g.
  Tiananmen Square

11
What Progress did Deng make?

• Chinas economy boomed under Deng but problems
  mounted
• State owned enterprises ere draining money from
  the government
• Foreign companies did not invest inland, causing
  inequalities between coastal regions and the rest
  of China

• Deng died in 1997 just months before the UK
  returned Hong Kong to China.
• Many Chinese feel that his successor, Jiang
  Zemin, took that doctrine to an extreme, forcing
  the current leadership to try to address a
  growing wealth gap.