Deng Xiaoping's Reform and Opening

What happened

After Mao's death, Deng Xiaoping emerged as China's paramount leader and, from 1978, launched the 'reform and opening' policy: decollectivizing agriculture, allowing market forces and private enterprise, and opening China to foreign trade and investment. The same years brought the normalization of relations with the United States, announced in December 1978.

Why it matters

Deng's reforms lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty and began China's transformation into the world's largest trading nation and second-largest economy.

Sources

• Asia for Educators, Columbia University. China: 1950–2000 — Key Points · Reputable source
• Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State. China Policy · Reputable source