Deng’s Reforms 1976–1988

As all policy in China, the reforms, too, are undergoing a time of crisis. The Chinese term for “crisis” (wei-ji) is composed of the characters for “danger” and “opportunity”. If we wanted to describe the state of crisis, we would have to identify elements of danger and elements of chance and hope. Our Chinese friends, who like to think in terms of history, perceiving the world in images of dynamic evolution, are usually very conscious of the connection between crisis and change. On the other hand, we can also try to recognize elements of continuity and of change, as Western historians like to do. Perhaps it is still too early to allow for a thorough analysis of the events of 1989. But one can certainly review the dangers and chances of the reforms designed and enacted in the years before.