As a revolutionary elder in the Communist Party of China, Deng Xiaoping served as the ruler of the People's Republic of China from the late 1970s to the early 1990s , forming the core of the "second generation" CPC leadership. Under his management, China developed one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

Deng was born in Paifang ( 牌坊 ) Village in Xiexing ( 协兴 ) township, Guang'an ( 广安 ) County, Sichuan Province . He was educated in France during his teenager. As a student, he joined the Chinese Communist Party, and became a member of the China Socialist Youth League in 1922. He was a veteran of the Long March ( 长征 ) , during which Deng served as General Secretary of the Central Committee. While acting as political commissar for Liu Bocheng ( 刘伯承 ) , he organized several important military campaigns during the war with Japan and during the Civil War against the Kuomintang ( 国民党 ) .

After officially supporting Mao Zedong ( 毛泽东 ) in his Anti-Rightist Campaign of 1957 , Deng became General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and ran the country's daily affairs with then State President Liu Shaoqi ( 刘少奇 ) . Amid growing disenchantment with Mao's Great Leap Forward ( 大跃进 ) , Deng and Liu gained influence within the CPC. They embarked on economic reforms that bolstered their prestige among the party apparatus and the national populace. During the Cultural Revolution ( 文化大革命 ) in 1966, Deng fell out of favor and had to retire from his offices, but returned in 1974. A second downfall in 1976 did not prevent him from a second return soon after Mao's death in the same year.

As Deng gradually consolidated control over the CPC, Hua was replaced by Zhao Ziyang ( 赵紫阳 ) as premier in 1980, and by Hu Yaobang ( 胡耀邦 ) as party chief in 1981. Deng remained the most influential CPC cadre, although after 1987 his only official posts were as chairman of the state and Communist Party Central Military Commissions.

Under Deng's direction, relations with the West improved markedly. Another achievement was the agreement signed by Britain and China on December 19, 1984 under which Hong Kong was to be handed over to the PRC in 1997. With the end of the 99-year lease on the New Territories expiring, Deng agreed that the PRC would not interfere with Hong Kong 's capitalist system for 50 years. Dubbed "one country-two systems ( 一国两制 ) ," this approach has been touted by the PRC as potential framework within which Taiwan could be reunited with the Mainland in more recent years.

The goals of Deng's reforms were summed up by the Four Modernizations, those of agriculture, industry, science and technology and the military. Deng argued that China was in the primary stage of socialism and that the duty of the party was to perfect "socialism with Chinese characteristics." In the main move toward market allocation, local municipalities and provinces were allowed to invest in industries that they considered most profitable, which encouraged investment in light manufacturing. Thus, Deng's reforms shifted China 's development strategy to an emphasis on light industry and export-led growth.

These reforms were a reversal of the Maoist policy of economic self-reliance. China decided to accelerate the modernization process by stepping up the volume of foreign trade. By participating in such export-led growth, China was able to step up the Four Modernizations by attaining certain foreign funds, market, advanced technologies and management experiences, thus accelerating its economic development. Deng attracted foreign companies to a series of special Economic Zones ( 经济特区 ) , where foreign investment and market liberalization were encouraged.

Deng Xiaoping died on February 19, 1997 , at age 92, but his influence continued. Even though Jiang Zemin ( 江泽民 ) was in firm control, the applicable policies still followed Deng's ideas, thoughts, methods, and direction. The Central Government called Deng the "Great Marxist, Great Proletarian Revolutionary, politician, militarist, diplomat; one of the main leaders of the Communist Party of China, the People's Liberation Army of China, and the People's Republic of China; The great architect of China's socialist opening-up and modernized construction; the founder of Deng Xiaoping theory."