1970's
Start of Rural reforms (1978)
"...1978.....Despite Deng Xiaoping's efforts for Economic Growth, China still did not have enough grain to feed its population."
-Houwen Ma, Student Interview
-Houwen Ma, Student Interview
At first, decentralization was forbidden to go down to household production. (1980's) But smaller agricultural unit sizes was allowed and decreased the production responsibility down to a small group of people, on February 1st, 1978.
".....Deng Xiaoping did, very much support the proposal to decentralize grain production to the household. But if Deng were to make such a risky venture like that, he would have had a lot of criticism thrown at him for "pursuing the capitalist road" or this and that. This is when Wan Li came to play. He proposed the reforms and Deng Xiaoping fully supported them. That is how Deng Xiaoping got around the strong opposition while also permitting the experimentation of household farming."
-Houwen Ma, Student Interview |
".......But then Deng Xiaoping's Rural Reforms and Opening Policy saved the family, as instead of only sticking to the option of farming and working in plantations, you could go to the big cities and work........" -Qianmei Chen, Student Interview
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opposition
"Many did not support Wan Li, Deng Xiaoping and Chen Yun. They believed in the Dazhai model: doing the opposite of the formation of nature." -Wei Tong, Student Interview
Newspaper articles and many people blamed Wan Li for restoring capitalism, opposing Dazhai and secretly encouraging household production (which he did.).....
"You say you are speaking from the Dazhai experience; I say Dazhai is an ultra-leftist model....You go your way and I'll go mine.....Don't impose your views on me and I won't impose mine on you. As for who is right and who is wrong, let's see which way worked best."
~Wan Li: November, 1978, to the criticism of Chen Yonggui, (a Dazhai hero) after watching the success of the experiment of small unit grain production.
Newspaper articles and many people blamed Wan Li for restoring capitalism, opposing Dazhai and secretly encouraging household production (which he did.).....
"You say you are speaking from the Dazhai experience; I say Dazhai is an ultra-leftist model....You go your way and I'll go mine.....Don't impose your views on me and I won't impose mine on you. As for who is right and who is wrong, let's see which way worked best."
~Wan Li: November, 1978, to the criticism of Chen Yonggui, (a Dazhai hero) after watching the success of the experiment of small unit grain production.
"Seek truth from facts"
~Deng Xiaoping, to Wan Li, before a debate on the Rural Reforms
~Deng Xiaoping, to Wan Li, before a debate on the Rural Reforms
You are a pig! You have plenty to eat! The peasants are thin because they do not have enough to eat. How can you tell the peasants they can't find a way to have enough to eat?"
~Wan Li, retorting back at an opposing vice minister of agriculture as the debate heats up.
Guangdong/Fujian experiments (1979)
Let some people get rich first." ~Deng Xiaoping, about the Guangdong Reforms
You [the Shenzhen local government] should be bolder in carrying out reform and opening up, dare to make experiments and should not act as women with bound feet." ~Deng Xiaoping |
"Deng Xiaoping focused on Guangdong at first, because it didn't have much agriculture. You see, it was very poor and many were leaving to go to the rich Hong Kong, but many died, trying to swim or run across the border. Deng Xiaoping visited Guangdong and had modern hotels and tourist areas built to attract these tourists to get more foreign currency. They really wanted--and needed--more foreign currency."
-Qianmei Chen, Student Interview "...It introduced a lot of foreign capitols and a lot of higher tech companies and factories were built, who took advantage of the low labor costs of Chinese workers. So both the government and the foreign companies made huge profits and at the same time, it enhanced the manufacturing capability of China. China is now called a World Factory........" -Wei Tong, Student Interview |
Performance Charts
Click on each chart to enlarge
"The development and experience of the Shenzhen SEZ prove that our policy of establishing such zones is correct."
-Deng Xiaoping, after of observing Shenzhen's modernized city.
-Deng Xiaoping, after of observing Shenzhen's modernized city.
TO READ MORE, SEE "1980's" PAGE