With the legitimacy of the party in free fall after 1989, Deng watched with trepidation as communist regimes collapsed in Eastern Europe. With Deng losing influence to conservatives like Li Peng and Chen Yun, he found a new ally in the mayor of Shanghai, Zhu Rongji. With Zhu’s help, Deng made a play to regain… Read more »
In the first few years under Deng’s leadership China’s rural areas made great strides, but rising prices led to unrest in urban areas. Corruption, primarily in the form of bribes, became an increasing part of everyday life.
Despite rapid rural growth and a diminishing gap between rich and poor, not all was well in Deng’s first few years in charge. Rural price increases were driving up prices in urban areas, leading to increasing unrest among students. In addition, Deng faced opposition by some party hardliners, most notably Mao’s former economic advisor Chen… Read more »