5.3 - Deng and political reform Flashcards
Why did Deng oppose the political reform?
Deng was prepared to be forward-thinking and introduce changes to the economy was concerned and to adopt capitalist practices if they succeeded in the modernisation of the economy. However in politics he remained a hard line communist not moving away from Mao Zedong thought, he maintained the 4 principles about the way China should be governed.
CCP would keep a leading role
He rejected a multi party system
There would be no free elections
No freedom of speech
In following these principles he firmly rejected democracy he was supported in his opposition to change by the older more conservative members of the CCP.
What was the Democracy Wall movement and Wei Jingsheng?
There was a long brick wall in the avenue of eternal peace near Tiananmen square where people pinned letter and big characters about their thoughts of what was happening in China. Becoming known as the democracy wall. At first, Deng was a supporter of the democracy wall. His supporters had pinned notes supporting Deng and criticising his opponents during struggle to take power.
However Deng’s desire to maintain strict communism was challenged when the wall was used to express peoples anti-gov feelings. Students in particular used it to criticise the part and lack of democracy. They were disappointed because they though that Deng would introduce democracy as a fifth modernisation when he became leader. In 1979 former Red guard Wei Jingsheng pinned to wall his criticisms of the gov failure to allow democratic freedom and accused them of acting like the Qing Dynasty and was sentenced to 15 years in prising after this
What were the origins of the Democracy movement, 1979?
Wei Jingsheng was one of the individuals whose brave stand up inspired many other activist to call for democracy in China. From 1979, intellectuals and students became involved in a democracy movement. Calling for the political reforms to match the modernisation of the economy. Many experienced western ideas of liberal politics when they had travelled abroad to study and wanted to end the corruption in the CCP but for the part to honour its claims that it represents the will of the people. it was from this democracy movement more widespread demonstrations by Chinese students emerged in mid 1980s and threatened to challenge existence of CCP
