Deng Xiaoping as a Revolutionary Who Opened up China to Other Countries - Essay Example

DENG XIAOPING Order No. 167153 APRIL 2007 Deng Xiaoping will be remembered as a revolutionary who opened up China to other countries. He took his country forward towards what he called "socialist Marxist economy." His principle of "one country, two systems" resulted in Hong Kong and Macao reuniting with China. His foreign policy also helped China maintain global as well as regional peace. He was a man of the century. "For Asia, the past 100 years have been a drama in two big acts. The main theme of the first half of the century was the regions struggle for independence from European colonialism. The second half has been dominated by nation building and East Asias phenomenal economic success. Alone of all the great Asians, Deng was a leading player in both of these acts, first as a revolutionary leader, then as the architect of a social revolution which has fundamentally changed China and the rest of the world for the better." (Crowell and Polin 1999). He was the architect who shaped Chinas reforms and was responsible for China to grow steadily for more than twenty-five years. As Mr. John Howard (2004), Prime Minister of Australia said: "Those historic reforms have enabled the Chinese people to realize greater prosperity and the benefits of modern living. The greater openness that Deng Xiaopings policies encouraged have paved the way for the close trade and economic relationships China now shares with the international community". After the death of Mao, Deng Xiaoping became Chinas new leader. He asked the people to free their minds and stressed that China should adopt an open policy which would help in vitalizing the economy. When Mao died in 1976, the people of China were depressed and without any hope for the future. There was poverty in the villages. Deng altered the way the peasants in villages lived and remolded China. He brought in what is known as the contract responsibility system wherein the farmers are free to grow crops of their choice but at the same time is required to give to the government a stipulated amount of crops. As a result of this peasants started earning reasonably well and destitution and poverty no longer stared at them. No world leader can match the success he has had in liberating millions of peasants from the jaws of poverty. More than giving them economic freedom he made the ordinary people of China realize that the welfare of the state is more important than individual welfare. Before Deng the slogan of the Cultural Revolution was "better to be poor under socialism than rich under capitalism." Deng changed it all. He said: "Of course, we do not want capitalism, but neither do we want to be poor under socialism. What we want is socialism in which the productive forces are developed and the country is prosperous and powerful". (Deng Xiaoping, 1979). Dengs reforms focused on "Four Modernizations", the modernization of the four important needs of the country - agriculture, industry, military and science and technology. During Maos regime peasants used to cultivate lands as a community. One of Dengs first reform was to abolish this. It was not communes but family plots that were cultivated. He gave the land to individual families. The peasants were allowed to sell their produce in the free market, thereby getting them some extra income. To encourage investment in small industries local municipalities were asked to invest in profitable industries. His reforms emphasised small and light industries and an export oriented growth. The revenues earned by these industries were later invested in industries with high capital and advanced technology. These reforms improved productivity, by introducing bonus and new incentives. With the peasants increasing agricultural output, and selling surplus produce in free markets their incomes increased so did their buying power. An ordinary citizen could buy consumer goods, which was not allowed during Maos time. More goods were produced leading to industrialization. Dengs focus was not only on the economy of China. He went beyond that. He knew that to make China a power to reckon with, a world power, the education system had to be revamped (During the Cultural Revolution schools were shut down and all the students were forcibly made to join the Red Guards.), the military needed streamlining and professionalism, more students needed to travel abroad for higher studies and foreigners, students as well as tourists should be allowed to come to China. To facilitate this Deng ordered that the cases of all those who were sent into exile during the Hundred Flowers movement of 1957 and the Cultural Revolution should be reviewed. This resulted in several Chinese returning home. Deng also loosened controls over intellectual and creative activities like music, filmmaking, arts, journalism which were tightly controlled during the Mao regime. He also introduced strict population control measures including forced abortions. Each family could have only one or two children. For Deng to carry out these policies and reforms it meant that China should open up its economy to the world woo foreign investors and train students in the latest technologies by sending them abroad. For this China in 1978 signed with Japan a Treaty of Peace and Friendship. In 1979 the United States officially recognized China as a Nation all through the efforts of Deng. China improved its relations with Russia to some extent and in 1997 he was able regain the British colony of Hong Kong. Along with economic reforms he initiated several political reforms. The policy of lifelong employment for government and senior party officials was terminated. A retirement system was introduced instead to pave the way to transfer the power to the next generation smoothly. This prevented the idolization of leaders. The Cultural Revolution had pushed Chinas economy to a point of no return. Dengs policies and reforms steadied the economy. In addition to these revolutionary reforms in 1980 he came up with this brilliant idea of setting up in the coastal regions of South China four Special Economic Zones that were to be used as fields for experimenting with larger reforms in urban areas. Shenzhen was one such town. "From 1980 to 2003, economic boomtown Shenzhen reported an average annual growth of 28.3 percent and total tax incomes valued at 46.7 billion yuan (US$5.65 billion). The former small fishing village now ranks the fourth in GDP among Chinese cities, next only to Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou."(Xinhua 2004). Deng was able to speed up his Four Modernization Program with the help of the foreign funds, managerial experience and advanced technologies that came with setting up of Special Economic Zones. When there was a slump in the Chinese economy Deng immediately took up remedial measures. He increased the prices paid to the peasants by the state, announced bonuses that increased the income of workers and investment in heavy industries was cut down. He accelerated the growth of free markets by encouraging farmers to sell privately more of their farm produce. While implementing these reforms Deng did not disturb Chinas socialism. His reforms certainly helped to improve the quality and standard of life but resulted in inequalities too. Differences between classes increased. There were demands for a democratic political system. However Deng ruled with an iron hand and all threats to the dictatorship was crushed with an iron fist. In the last five years of his regime all dissidents were either exiled or imprisoned. Later in 1989 Deng allowed guns and tanks to be used to quell the pro-democracy and anti-corruption demonstrations. It is said that hundreds of people mainly students and some bystanders were killed in Tiananmen Square where the demonstrations were held. Even though Dengs doctrines did not appeal to the intellectuals they did shape successfully the economic reforms of China. The economy boomed nearly four times and there was a three-fold increase in the living standards of the people in a time span of fifteen years. All this led to some kind of authoritarian rule and individual thoughts and rights were not given the respect they deserved. But these reforms did benefit China. Large country that China is it still does not have a more successful or appealing model than Dengs. Deng Xiaoping , a member of the Chinese Communist Party right from his youth, served China through many of its difficult phases like the Cultural Revolution, the forming of the People Republic and was responsible for steering the country towards what is known as social modernization. He was an innovator, a man of vision and a man who was able to take quick decisions and actions. It is because of all this and more that during his time he was able to become the chief policy-maker of China taking it to new heights. In conclusion one can only agree with what Jonathan Spence (2006) has said about Deng Xiaoping. "Leading China down the capitalist path, Deng relaxed all manner of economic controls and launched Special Economic Zones—free-trade enclaves that demonstrated the prosperous potential of a liberalized economy. These initiatives helped transport millions of Chinese out of poverty in the space of just a few decades, a feat unprecedented in history; transformed China into the global manufacturing behemoth that it now is; and heralded the countrys arrival on the world stage as a major geopolitical and financial player." References 1. Crowell and Polin, 1999, Deng Xiaoping, Asia Week, Available at http://www.asiaweek.com/asiaweek/features/aoc/aoc.deng.html 2. Howard John, 2004, Australian PM highly evaluates Chinas open-door policy, Xinhua, Available at http://english.people.com.cn/200408/16/eng20040816_153240.html 3. Overholt William, 1994, The Rise Of China: How Economic Reform Is Creating a New Superpower, Reprint Edition, W.W.Nortan & Company, p 37 4. Spence Jonathan, 2006, The Maoist who reinvented himself, transformed a nation, and changed the world, Time Magazine, Available at http://www.time.com/time/asia/2006/heroes/nb_deng.html 5. Xiaoping Deng, 1979, We can develop a market economy under socialism, Selected works of Deng Xiaoping, Vol.II Available at http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/dengxp/vol2/text/b1370.html 6. Xinhua, 2004, Deng steers China with exploring spirit, Available at http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-08/17/content_366220.htm By Jonathan Spence Time Magazine 2006 The Maoist who reinvented himself, transformed a nation, and changed the world http://www.time.com/time/asia/2006/heroes/nb_deng.html interview with Xinhua Australian PM highly evaluates Chinas open-door policyavailable at http://english.people.com.cn/200408/16/eng20040816_153240.html Xinhua Deng steers China with exploring spirit available at http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-08/17/content_366220.htm Read More