Word: deng
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Before its adjournment, the 992-delegate conference also approved a draft of the new five-year economic plan, the seventh since the Communists came to power in 1949. It too reflected Deng's modernization drive, with continued commitment to foreign investment and more trade and a renewal of efforts to stimulate production by loosening central controls. The plan calls for a restrained annual growth rate of 7%, compared with an average 10% during the past five years, a period when the Chinese economy overheated...
Interestingly, however, the meeting underscored an ideological disagreement that still exists within the party despite Deng's success in moving China away from Maoism. At the closing session, Deng chose to appease hard-liners by emphasizing, "In our propaganda, we must firmly oppose bourgeois liberalism, that is, publicity that favors taking the capitalist road." He continued, "We exert ourselves for socialism not only because socialism provides conditions for faster development of the forces of production than capitalism but also because only socialism can eliminate the greed, corruption and injustice that are inherent in capitalism...
...After Deng's speech came an even tougher one by his most persistent critic, Chen Yun, 80. Chen remains an advocate of Soviet-style central planning and frequently cites numerous recent incidents of corruption, overproduction and economic dislocation to bolster his case for a restricted reform program. In last week's speech he suggested that Deng's rural reforms, which allow peasants considerable economic freedom, could lead them to stop growing food and turn to more lucrative industrial endeavors, like making tools, furniture, clothing or even traditional handicrafts. Chen also criticized the moderate growth rates envisaged by the new five...
...apparent contradiction between the results and the rhetoric of the conference was ascribed by one Western analyst in Peking to Deng's "practice of not overwinning." While Deng enjoys strong support at the top levels of the party hierarchy, many lower-ranking officials, who have no stake in the reform programs, tend to favor the Chen Yun approach. Thus Chen's speech may have been sanctioned as a sort of minority dissent...
Through his forceful personality and his seniority in the party, Deng in the past has generally been able to impose his will on the country. The question remains whether in the time left to him, he can bequeath that authority and influence to his ideological successors...