because the Chinese people were in dire need of
improved living standards and because all meaningful
opposition to the Communist Party had been obliterated
during Mao’s reign and the Cultural Revolution. To achieve
this, they wished to repudiate not just the Cultural
Revolution but also much of the Maoist institutional legacy.
They realized that economic growth would be possible only
with significant moves toward inclusive economic
institutions. They thus wished to reform the economy and
bolster the role of market forces and incentives. They also
wanted to expand the scope for private ownership and
reduce the role of the Communist Party in society and the
administration, getting rid of such concepts as class
struggle. Deng’s group was also open to foreign investment
and international trade, and wished to pursue a much more
aggressive policy of integrating with the international
economy. Still, there were limits, and building truly inclusive
economic institutions and significantly lessening the grip
the Communist Party had on the economy weren’t even
options.
The turning point for China was Hua Guofeng’s power
and his willingness to use it against the Ga