Centennial Celebration: Understanding Deng Xiaoping

Author: Lin Jian Gong, Lin Ting Fang, Jin Zhao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-03-01
Features: This book is divided into five chapters, narrating the legendary life of Deng Xiaoping and the "Deng Xiaoping Theory" he established, based on a wealth of detailed materials. The content is comprehensive and thorough, making it the best read for fully understanding Deng Xiaoping's life and the Deng Xiaoping Theory. It possesses strong scientific, theoretical, and systematic qualities. Deng Xiaoping was a great figure of the century, revered by the world; his character and theories are widely known among the Chinese people, truly "household names, known even to children." This in itself is an extraordinary achievement, an affirmation and reward from the people for Deng Xiaoping's great contributions. However, common sense tells us that many things we are extremely familiar with often become obscure upon closer examination, making it difficult to articulate them clearly. The philosopher Hegel revealed this flaw in human perception, pointing out that what is familiar is not necessarily well-known. For Deng Xiaoping and his theory, many people may also face this situation: seemingly familiar, yet not truly understanding. Therefore, Comrade Jiang Zemin proposed that studying the Deng Xiaoping Theory "must be persistent, not half-hearted; must be unwavering, not superficial," and that "one should not be satisfied with merely knowing some of its statements and phrases, but should truly comprehend it." (Qiushi, 1998, Issue 4). To help people move from familiarity to true understanding, I sincerely recommend a wonderful book by Lin Jian Gong, Lin Ting Fang, and Jin Zhao—Understanding Deng Xiaoping. I call it a great book because it has the following merits:
First, the writing is fresh and touching, drawing you effortlessly into the charm of the great leader and inspiring you with his noble character. When introducing a leader, the writing tends to be solemn and serious, determined by the nature of the subject. However, this work maintains a touch of humor amidst solemnity and liveliness in its seriousness. It not only evaluates Deng Xiaoping's words and actions, wisdom and courage at critical historical moments but also gives due attention to his hobbies and amusing anecdotes from his life. This way, a vivid and ordinary Deng Xiaoping stands before the readers, bridging the distance between the leader and the audience. The reading experience is like conversing with the great man himself—listening to his teachings with warmth, deeply feeling his intellect and strength, yet in a relaxed and natural manner.
Second, the book is infused with the spirit of seeking truth from facts. Seeking truth from facts is the essence of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, and also the essence of the Deng Xiaoping Theory. The authors consciously integrate this principle into the writing of the book. Whether introducing Deng Xiaoping as a person or elaborating on his theory, they adhere to facts as the foundation. For example, why is Deng Xiaoping a historical figure of the world today? The authors do not rely on subjective speculation but present five perspectives on Deng Xiaoping: what the world people think of him, what the Chinese people think of him, and what the leaders think of him. What is particularly valuable is that the authors also include what Deng Xiaoping himself thought of himself. By comparing Deng Xiaoping's self-assessment with others' evaluations of him, without any embellishment, the great historical figure of the world is vividly highlighted.
Another example concerns Deng Xiaoping's theoretical innovation. The authors write about 11 "turns," which is an excellent distillation and summary of the Deng Xiaoping Theory, and each "turn" is based on factual analysis. This is precisely why the book contains a wealth of rich and detailed materials.
Third, this is a book about a leader but also a high-level theoretical work. The most prominent feature of the Deng Xiaoping Theory is its close connection to reality, a characteristic that is fully reflected in this book. For instance, the four issues analyzed in Chapter 3 of the book—whether Deng Xiaoping had a theory, how to summarize the Deng Xiaoping Theory system, whether the theory abandoned its "ancestral principles," and whether the theory is "neither socialist nor capitalist"—are major issues that emerged during the reform and opening-up. They involve both theoretical and practical aspects. It must be admitted that answering these questions is not easy, and I do not believe the authors' answers in the book are beyond further discussion; however, their courage to address these issues and explore them should be commended. That is, the authors closely connect theory to practice, avoiding empty rhetoric. Although opinions may vary on these issues, the authors present their own insights for study and reference, which in itself is a contribution.
Fourth, the book highlights Deng Xiaoping's method of thinking, which holds special significance. Deng Xiaoping's ability to achieve extraordinary achievements and make great, historic contributions to China and the world, beyond his extraordinary courage and wisdom, also stemmed from his scientific and creative thinking methods. The book vividly introduces how Deng Xiaoping, whenever faced with major issues, always had unique and extraordinary ways of thinking. He often went straight to the essence of the matter. For example, Deng Xiaoping said, "Poverty is not socialism, and neither is too slow development." Though seemingly ordinary, the statement was profound and shook people out of the various "leftist" perceptions that had long shrouded the issue.
Another example is that capitalism had existed for hundreds of years, with every capitalist society having a plan; socialism had been practiced for decades, with every socialist society having commodity circulation. There was a veil between them that no one had pierced or dared to pierce. Deng Xiaoping pierced it, pointing out that capitalism also had plans and that socialism could adopt a market economy. In an instant, people were freed from decades of constraints. The book presents Deng Xiaoping's unconventional, creative thinking methods through such seemingly ordinary facts, inspiring readers greatly.
Truly understanding Deng Xiaoping is not easy, nor can it be fully achieved by reading this book alone; however, it is indeed very helpful in guiding people from familiarity to true understanding of Deng Xiaoping and his theory, in truly comprehending Deng Xiaoping.