China under Deng Xiaoping : Political changes, and their limits,

culminating in Tiananmen Square

Presented by: Mengxin Zhu & Arielle Green 竺梦芯和绿阿莉尔呈现

● China’s democracy movement was subdued in 1978-79 when the economic reforms were being launched.

● As Deng consolidated his control of China, the call for political reform came to the fore again in the mid-1980s.

- pro-reform leaders: Zhao Ziyang was appointed premier, and Hu Yaobang CCP general secretary.

- Deng himself, satisfied with being the “power behind the throne,” never held a top position.

China Under Deng Xiaoping

● Deng had full control of the

Party and the government by

1982

● Deng began to separate the

government from the Party

● Goal = to modernise China so it

could compete with the West in

consumer goods & industrial

production

Political Change

● The economic changes led to conflicts within

the Party

● There were three main power bases which

were:

o Deng (pragmatists)

o Hua and Ye (military leader and the

balancer)

● The leftist members worried that China's

socialist goals would be lost by the new

economic changes and the trade with the

West

● Deng made it clear that China would remain

socialist

Political Changes (cont’d)

● Deng was loyal to the Communist party and a firm believer in the "dictatorship of the proletariat."

● Democracy wall- people express opinion on

the way China has progressed over past decade.

- freedom- human rights- self-determination

Political Changes (cont’d)

● Wei Jingsheng (Fifth Modernization) -democracy and -criticized Deng

-15 years imprisonment for treason -Wall closed down

● Protests were stopped after that, and reforming communists were pushed underground once again.

Pro-Democracy Groups

● Deng at the time was looking to increase his power

within the politburo and the Central Committee

● His focus was on economic growth and the Four

Modernizations

● Japan was China's main investor and the US was

starting to increase its investment in China as well

● China was starting to open up to the outside world

China Opening Up

● In the 1980's there were

disagreements between the

Party and the government due

to contradictions

● Political liberalisation was

supported however there was

no place for bourgeois values

● The government allowed more

freedom within the media

Contradictions

● In 1986 there were

demonstrations that encouraged

students to get involved in local

government

● The demonstrators were also

looking for improved living

conditions and more freedom

● The students demonstrations

were not joined by workers

● Deng was starting to worry

about another power struggle

within the Party

Student Demonstrations

● Hu Yaobang died in April 1989 >> social change

● Deng had counseled restraint with Zhao Ziyang.

● Students intensified things.

● Deng Ordered the army to “Take All

Necessary Measures” to seize the square.

Tiananmen Square 1989

● The demonstrators were quickly suppressed. -no clear objective -lack of leadership

Aftermath● 800-1000 people were killed● Mass arrests● Many workers were executed.● The students who were connected,

received lighter sentences● 1,602 individuals were imprisoned

Tiananmen Square 1989 (cont’d)

● Zhao was removed and replace by Jiang Zemin, a loyal Deng supporter

● Deng resigned in 1989 - still remained the guiding figure till 1997.

● Today’s China -Economic liberalization -No Political liberalization

Aftermath

Student Protests: Tiananmen Square

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdGDoCAVSs4

Video