Deng's Reforms, 1978-1996
Background: previous
efforts to reform in other communist countries
1. Broad strategy:
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liberalization of party over society
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stress economic development, pragmatism
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"practice is the sole criterion for testing truth,"
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"It doesn't matter if a cat is white or black, as long as it can catch
mice, it is a good cat."
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utilize market mechanisms
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maintain tight party control, not democracy
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example of Poland, 1980s, Solidarity
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internal stresses of reform
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example of USSR
2. Key events marking Deng's take-over
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3rd Plenum of 11th Party Central Committee, Dec. 1978
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Democracy Wall movement, create mass base
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March 4, 1979 - Four Basic Principles
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Wei Jingsheng jailed, Fall 1979
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Trial of Gang of 4 (Jiang Qing, Yao Wenyuan, Zhang Chunqiao, Wang
Hungwen)
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Party re-evaluation of Mao, Cultural Revolution (June, 1981)
3. Personnel Changes
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Zhao Ziyang, premier, Sept. 1980
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Hu Yaobang, Party leader, June 1981
4. Law
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codification of laws, recover from the legal chaos of the Cultural Revolution
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Criminal Code and Procedure, 1979-1980
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Marriage Law, 1980
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Inheritance Law, 1985
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Security Administrative Punishment Regulations (1957, 1986, 1994) empower
police to punish
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Bankruptcy Law draft 1986
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Civil Law General Rules 1987
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Marriage Registration and Regulation Act 1994
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State Compensation law, 1995 - people can sue government for damage
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Draft Law for Lawyers, 1996
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New needs dealing with economy
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contract disputes, ownership, copyright, ownership rights, bankruptcy
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new constitution, 1982
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re-open law schools, train lawyers, develop law journals
5. Agricultural Reforms
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procurement prices increased
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responsibility system (households have responsibility for managing farming)
1981-82
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contract responsibility for 3, 15, 50 years
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end of commune system
6. Open Door
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send students abroad
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invite foreign teachers to come
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import foreign technology, factories (Pilkington, VW, pharmaceuticals,
Johnson & Johnson, etc.
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set up joint ventures
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tolerate foreign culture --
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SW radio (VOA), movies,
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books from Taiwan, Hong Kong, etc.
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translate western classics
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create Shen Zhen as experimental city (near Hong Kong)
7. Wide range of urban reforms discussed, experimented
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private ownership of shops, restaurants, businesses (often by auction)
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reform employment. New workers hired on 5 year contract
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discuss reform on housing system
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make enterprises economically autonomous, keep profits, pay taxes
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experimental law for bankruptcy, allow one factory to go bankrupt as an
experiment
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price reform, enterprises can set prices
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reduce food subsidies, allow food prices to go up
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discuss separation of party and state
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sharp debate on party about scope and speed of reforms
8. Student demonstrations
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1985
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1986, big, widespread, Dec. - Jan 1987
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1988
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1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations, repression
9. New leadership, Jiang Zemin, Li Peng
10. Deng's trip south 1992 -- energizes reforms
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expand market system
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encourage jumping overboard
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Shanghai allowed to modernize and grow, create Pu Dong
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private entrepreneurs
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extensive investment from Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea
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expanded rural-to-urban migration
11. more events:
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Deng Xiaoping dies, Feb. 1997
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Hong Kong reverts to Chinese Rule, July 1997
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expansion of tranportation, communication infrastructure,
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roads, telephones, trains, airlines, computers-internet
12. State Enterprise reform
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1998 New Premier Zhu Rongji starts reform of state owned enterprises
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lay off surplus workers, workers' protests
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begin to create new social security system
13. Issues
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worker's protests
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floating population
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Fa Lun Gong
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Taiwan, Chen Shui-bian
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WTO
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Corruption
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