In 1978, China’s GDP was about the same as India’s. Today, it’s five times larger. How did that happen? It began with Deng Xiaoping, who transformed China.
Deng Xiaoping was born in 1904, when China was torn by warlords and Western control. At age 16, he dreamed of saving China through industry and went to France to study. There, he worked in grimy factories to pay for school.
He soon joined the Communist Party. It was a dangerous move, since the Nationalists ruled with a hundred times more troops. He met Mao Zedong after returning to China, supporting him long before he rose to leadership.
After Mao’s death, Deng Xiaoping became China’s leader in 1978. He began experimenting with state capitalism. It’s a bold mix of socialism and market freedom. That’s when China started to take off.
Deng Xiaoping died at the age of 92. According to his wishes, his ashes were scattered into the sea. Deng Xiaoping left no tomb — but a lasting legacy.