Why Xi Jinping is envious of his predecessor
China’s ruler would like to grab Deng Xiaoping’s legacy
DENG XIAOPING was barely five feet tall, but China’s late ruler was a political giant. He was a leading figure in the Communist revolution and a hard-nosed Leninist. Yet, as ruler, he launched market-oriented reforms and opened China up to the world. On August 22nd, the 120th anniversary of Deng’s birth, China’s current leader, Xi Jinping, lauded his “extraordinary life”.
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This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “Two very different leaders”
From the August 31st 2024 edition
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