The Trajectory of Reform
in China
"An early spring has arrived in the south of China...As we embark
on a new year, the heroic stature of Shenzhen will allow it to make yet
another grand advance on the road of the open door and reform. Deng Xiaoping,
the grand architect of the open door and reform policies, the dearly beloved
comrade of all the peoples of China, has visited Shenzhen! (Journalist
Chen Xitian's preface to his report on Deng's Tour of the South, 1992).
1949 Communist victory, in civil war against the Guomindang
(GMD ror KMT). "Liberation" of China, establishment of PRC under
the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
1958 Great Leap Forward. Mao tries to mobilize country
to quickly modernize and achieve pure Communism in one step. Mass kitchens,
day care organized, women encouraged to work, industry emphasized. These
policies led to massive famine 1959-61.
1966-1976 The "Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution".
In order to re-establish his power in Beijing, Mao encourages radical
youth to organize (as "Red Guards) and destroy the "elites",
launches "Destroy the 4 olds" Campaign. Red Guard factional
fighting sends country into anarchy.
1976 Death of Mao Zedong. His widow, Jiang Qing, tries
to maintain radical policies.
1978 Rise of new moderate government. Jiang Qing and 3 associates (called
the "Gang of Four") arrested, imprisoned, and scapegoated for
failures of the Cultural Revolution.
Dec. 1978 The dominance of Deng Xiaoping is confirmed at the 3rd plenum
of 11th Central Committee. Deng introduces new pragmatic economic reforms--
initiated the decollectivization of agriculture, the beginning of the
"household responsibility system", and declared an "open
door" to foreign investment. Advocates polices for "4 modernizations".
1979 Govt. designated SE coastal regions Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Xiamen and
Shantou as "Special Economic Zones" (SEZ) to encourage foreign
trade.
1978-9 Rise and suppression of Democracy Wall movement.
Students and intellectuals such as Wei Jingsheng and Fu Yuehua protesting
for greater political freedoms arrested and imprisoned.
1980-81 Govt. campaign against "bourgeois liberalism"
in the arts and media.
1982 New state and party constitutions, new codes of law implemented.
1983-1985 Full set of moderate economic reforms introduced and systematized.
1983 Household responsibility system introduced. Scope of mandatory economic
planning reduced, state enterprise autonomy increased, foreign trade decentralized.
1983 Govt. campaign against "spiritual pollution" in
ideology and culture. Begins with criticism of critical neo-Marxist
intellectuals and extends to attempts of local leaders to restrict youth
from indulging in "western" popular culture.
1985-89 Emboldened by political reforms aimed at combating govt. corruption
and direct administrative control over the economy, students and intellectuals
engage in intensive "culture fever" debates about the future
of China and political reform.
Dec. 1986 Student protests in several Chinese cities over university issues
coalesce into more general calls for greater "freedom" and "democracy".
The Party moves to suppress dissent, and the more radical reform-minded
general secretary of the Party, Hu Yaobang, was forced to resign.
Jan. 1987 Renewed campaign against "bourgeois liberalization".
Spring 1989 Massacre in Tiananmen square. Deng Xiaoping
calls in PLA troops to crackdown on massive student protests in Beijing
demanding "democracy", and an end to official corruption. Begin
period of purging of intellectuals, suppression of media expression in
a renewed campaign against "spiritual pollution".
January 1992 Deng Xiaoping's "Tour of the South";
after period of social and economic retrenchment, Deng takes inspection
tour of the south. His speeches oppose cautious party purists and urged
people to experiment with radical economic opening up in order to achieve
prosperity. (Ironically) calls for more "liberalization of thought".