Ruling : Deng Xiaoping

When did Mao die?

September 1976

what happened after Mao's death?

a power struggle

who were the 3 rivals competing for control of the CCP?

Hua Guofeng

Gang of 4 ( led by Jiang Qing)

Deng Xiaoping

what event showed Hua Guofeng had an advantage over the G4?

he delivered the main speech in Mao's funeral = appeared to be the closest to Mao and therefore should be the successor

strength of Hua to succeed Mao?

he was a loyal Maoist

declared Mao's heir by Mao himself

What did Mao consider to be the G4?

Power hungry = never considered entrusting them with power after his death

After Mao's death, how did the Politburo react?

16 member politburo split between 2 parts = one with Hua and the other with the Gang of 4

why did Hua have an advantage over the G4?

• Had close relationships with generals like Wang Dongxing and Ye Jiangying

• had support of Mao and therefore his remaining loyalists

• the G4 were unpopular at the time

who were the generals that Hua was close with?

Wang Dongxing and Ye Jiangying

how was the G4 outmanoeuvred by Hua?

Ye and Wang deployed units of the armed forces in Beijing and other areas to prevent counter-revolution since Jiang was aiming to rally support

After this, Hua invited the Gang of 4 to a rearanged politburo meeting in October.

Each of them was given time = 3 men who arrived were arrested immediately

Jiang qing was seized in her own home and sent off to prison

why did Hua beating the G4 benefit Deng?

Deng had the highest reputation and largest organic following in the party = with the G4 removed, there was no one that could match his personal standing because Hua's role was not viewed as permanent

Deng's military backing?

had backing from General Xu Shiyou = protected him from the Gang of 4 and used his contracts with leading CCP members to push for Deng's reinstantement in the politburo

Ye Jiangying also backed Deng's return to politburo = loyalty passed from Hua to Deng = become spokesmen of all regional leaders who felt Deng was valuable for the CCP

By March 1977 what did Politburo decide?

In Jan = Politburo dropped criticism that had led to Deng's expulsion

in March = Deng's position in politburo and vice-charman of the state council restored

Deng's strengths as a leader?

- record of economic planner alongside Liu to end Great Famine

- long experience in Chinese politics

- genuine popularity within the CCP

- close relations with military leaders

- representative of the PRC in international affairs

what started Deng's leadership of the CCP?

Third Plenum

When was the Third Plenum?

December 1978

what decisions were made at the Third Plenum?

"restore party democracy" = rehabilitating anyone wrongly Purged during Mao's rule

Plenum appointed Deng as the chairman of the People's Political Consultative Conference (PPCC)

Plenum accepted Deng's 4 modernisations

what honorary title did Deng gain?

"paramount leader"

what was the key different between Mao and Deng?

Deng was much more pragmmatic whilst Mao was much more ideological

what saying from Deng shows his pragmatic nature?

"it does not matter whether a cat is black or white, so long as it catches mice"

how did Deng deal with Mao's legacy?

resolved to remove Maoist elements which inhibited economic progress

Mao's reputation was subject to the drip effect

Mao was 70% right and 30% wrong

how did Deng deal with the G4?

Placed them on trial and charged them with the death of 35,000 people and framed or persecuted another 750,000

accused them of betraying Maoism and Chinese Revolution

what were Deng's 4 modernisations?

1) agriuculture

2) industry

3) education

4) defence

ideas behind the 4 modernisations?

free market economics

pragmatic

goals of the 4 modernisations?

strengthening China's domestic economy

opening Chinese trade to the world

allowing development of individual industries

encouraging Chinese and foreign investment

First modernisation: Agriculture?

Commune abandoned and replaced by Xian

Xian's still required to meet food production quota but surplus could be sold for private gain

impact of the reforms on agriculture?

Grain production increased from 304.8T to 407.8T

Meat production increased from 8.6T to 23.3T

limitation of reforms on agriculture?

China still held their farms on a 15 year lease = doubts of land security led to a decreased incentive to invest for more long term growth

Second Modernisation: Industry?

SEZ's were developed

first 4 = Shantou, Xiamen, Shenzen, Zhuhai

SEZ given tax breaks and regional autonomy

impact of reforms on industry?

exports rose by 500% and they became China's main commercial hub

Third modernisation: Education?

universities expanded in size and number

Chinese students were sent abroad

Plan was to train a million technical students to became the managers and administrators of the new economy

problems with the 2nd modernisation?

there was no longer an "iron-rice bowl" = workers paid according to peformance

Resistance from SOE's = freedom from state control --> no more state subsidies

considerations which influenced the Fourth Modernisation: Defence?

compliant and co-operative armed services were essential politically

modernised army

PRC could not afford heavy military spending

Fourth Modernisation: Defence?

Cut the military budget

PLA reduced by 1M

People's Armed Police absorbed the laid-off soldiers

impact of Deng's economic policies?

between 1981-2000 = China's growth rate = 9%

Middle class boom

How did growth of the middle class benefit China?

increase of disposable income = increase consumption = consumer and construction boom

how did he balance the 4 modernisations?

Four cardinal principles

what were the 4 Cardinal principles?

keeping up the socialist road

Upholding the people's Democratic dictatorship

upholding leadership by the communist party

upholding Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought

what did the 4 Cardinal principles show?

Deng wanted to keep the maintenance of the existing political structure

The Democracy Wall?

A wall near Tiananmen Square where Chinese people expressed their beliefs and criticised the government

what was the name of former red guard who used the wall to call the government out? impact of this?

Wei Jingsheng

arrested and sentenced to 18 years in prison

The Democracy Movement?

intellectuals who wanted to liberalise the political system

pushed for a 5th modernisation = democracy

how did Deng deal with the call for a 5th modernisation?

Rejected it completely = argued democratic centralism should still be applied

What did growing frustration to allow a 5th modernisation culminate in?

Tiananmen Square Massacre

when was the Tiananmen Square Massacre

June 4, 1989

The path to the massacre?

April 1989, death of Hu Yaobang = memorial service which led to large crowds forming in Tiananmen Square

number of protestors came from over 40 universities

a hunger strike began

who was Hu Yaobang?

government official removed in 1987 for supporting student protests

what advantages did the protestors think they had?

wide international media coverage

visit of Gorbachev to China

how did the government deal with students continued resistance?

Martial Law imposed

350,000 PLA troops moved into Tiananmen Square

Deng's attitudes after TS?

wanted to balance the left and right of the party

left were more communist whilst right were pushing for total westernisation

Communism was the new Confucianism = set of common values that led to a harmonious society

continuing repression after TS massacre?

Wei Jingsheng's original sentence increased by another 14 years

More political prisoners in the Laogais in 1997 than there had been in 1976

when did Deng die?

1997