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China Deng Xiaoping's Seminal Role
Although post-Mao pronouncements by the Chinese Communist Party
officially emphasized collective leadership, Deng Xiaoping clearly
occupied center stage and acquired unique political stature in the
party hierarchy (without even holding the titular number-one
position). Following the consolidation of Deng's power at the
Twelfth National Party Congress in 1982, the party issued The
Selected Works of Deng Xiaoping. The book was intended to
provide authoritative ideological backing for the reform program in
progress and became required reading for party members. Another
volume, entitled Building Socialism with Chinese
Characteristics, issued in 1985, contained speeches and
writings on economic policy, ideological questions, and foreign
policy written by Deng after the Twelfth National Party Congress.
A major purpose of the later work was to support the dramatic
reforms introduced at the Third Plenum of that congress's Central
Committee in October 1984. This book was re-released in March 1987
with additional speeches and remarks on intervening events,
purportedly with the intention of providing extensive guidance for
reform. Given the volume and frequency of publication, it became
difficult for the reform leadership to avoid the appearance of
creating a cult of personality around Deng.
Deng was an effective bridge between China's legendary
revolutionary generation and the generation engaged in carrying out
the Four Modernizations. At the same time, Deng's preeminence
called attention to the succession issue. The resolution of
problems emerging in the course of reform depended heavily on
Deng's political backing and on his authoritative reform
pronouncements. In large measure, Deng's published works would
support later leaders by providing them an authoritative source
with which to bolster their own reform measures. Like any body of
writing, however, Deng's thoughts are open to interpretation and
thus might as easily be used by an opposition group for its own
ends.
Data as of July 1987
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