On August 22nd, the 120th birth anniversary of the late Chinese Communist Party leader Deng Xiaoping was commemorated by current CCP leader Xi Jinping during a memorial symposium. Xi Jinping delivered a speech praising Deng’s life as an “outstanding leader” and emphasized the importance of continuing reforms and opening up policies.
A decade ago, Xi Jinping’s speech on Deng Xiaoping’s 110th birth anniversary was nearly ten thousand words long, while this time it was around 6000 words, a reduction of one-third. The sections regarding the events of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and cross-strait relations were expanded compared to a decade ago.
However, Xi Jinping’s speech notably omitted key events in Deng Xiaoping’s life. Analysts believe that the CCP’s internal power struggles have always been brutal, and the authorities downplay or avoid mentioning these events because Deng Xiaoping, in reality, was a schemer within the CCP, and the authorities have always been wary of anyone emulating Deng Xiaoping.
Xi Jinping avoided discussing or played down some significant events in Deng Xiaoping’s life during the symposium, as pointed out by political commentator Dai Liwen. Xi omitted or downplayed Deng’s first downfall, the ideological debates, abolition of lifelong leadership tenure for cadres, and also downplayed the 1976 Tiananmen Square incident.
It was noted in the article that Deng Xiaoping was overthrown three times in his life, with the official record not mentioning his initial ousting in the early 1930s during the Red Army period due to his support for Mao Zedong’s guerrilla warfare tactics. Deng Xiaoping was labeled as a member of the Maoist clique.
Dai Liwen highlighted that Deng had halted the Cultural Revolution, initiated the “Reform and Opening Up” policies, and abolished the lifelong leadership tenure for cadres. Deng’s significant contributions, such as the limitation of the presidential term to two, have been ignored in current discussions.
The amendments made in 2018 to remove the term limit for the President and Vice President of China stirred controversy as it opened the possibility for Xi Jinping to have indefinite terms in office.
Regarding the commemoration of Deng Xiaoping by the authorities, Qin Peng, the host of “Qin Peng Observation,” believed that it was merely a strategic move to elevate Deng Xiaoping’s status temporarily to boost Xi Jinping’s image and promote his own agenda, potentially aiming to overshadow Deng and establish himself as a leader parallel to Mao Zedong.
Political commentator Tsai Shengkun expressed to Radio Free Asia that Xi Jinping fundamentally disagrees with Deng Xiaoping’s ideologies as China faces economic challenges and internal instability. The highlighting of Deng’s legacy might serve as a tactic to appease dissent within the party and military ranks and counter public dissatisfaction.
Analyst Zhong Yuan suggested in a written piece on Da Ji Yuan that the current emphasis on Deng Xiaoping indicates the precarious nature of the political situation in Beijing. The latest speech underscores the importance of a strong party core and authoritative central leadership.
Wu Guoguang, an academic based in Canada and former advisor to Zhao Ziyang, opined in an article for Voice of America that Deng Xiaoping’s preservation of Mao Zedong’s legacy through the “Three Represents” and “Four Cardinal Principles” paved the way for Xi Jinping’s leadership. From Deng to Xi, the continuity in their leadership indicates no fundamental differences, only variances in degree and form.