Four Modernizations in the context of "Zhou Enlai"

Reform and opening-up (Chinese: 改革开放; pinyin: Gǎigé kāifàng), also known as the Chinese economic reform or Chinese economic miracle, refers to a variety of economic reforms in the People's Republic of China (PRC) that began in the late 20th century, after Mao Zedong's death in 1976.

Guided by Deng Xiaoping, who is often credited as the "General Architect", the reforms were launched by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on December 18, 1978 at the third plenary session of the 11th CCP Central Committee, during the Boluan Fanzheng period. In 1979, Deng launched the Four Modernizations, aiming to modernize China's economy. A parallel set of political reforms were launched by Deng and his allies in the 1980s, but ended with the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre, halting further political liberalization. The economic reforms were revived after Deng Xiaoping's southern tour in 1992. Reform and opening up gradually became the main component of socialism with Chinese characteristics, constituting Deng Xiaoping Theory, and was incorporated into the CCP Constitution in 1997 and written into the Constitution of China in 1999.

Moderately prosperous society or Xiaokang society (Chinese: 小康社会; pinyin: Xiǎokāng Shèhuì), is a Chinese term, originally of Confucianism, used to describe a society composed of a functional middle-class. In December 1979, Deng Xiaoping, then paramount leader of China, first proposed the idea of "Xiaokang" based on the "Four Modernizations".

The term is best known in recent years through its use by Hu Jintao, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party between 2002 and 2012, when referring to economic policies intended to realize a more equal distribution of wealth. In the usages (Tifa) of current General Secretary Xi Jinping, the term Chinese Dream has gained somewhat greater prominence. In 2015, Xi unveiled a set of political slogans called the Four Comprehensives, which include "Comprehensively build a moderately prosperous society."

Boluan Fanzheng (simplified Chinese: 拨乱反正; traditional Chinese: 撥亂反正; lit. 'Eliminating chaos and returning to normal'; trans. "Setting Things Right") refers to a period of significant sociopolitical reforms starting with the accession of Deng Xiaoping to the paramount leadership in China, replacing Hua Guofeng, who had been appointed as Mao Zedong's successor before Mao's death in 1976. During this period, a far-reaching program of reforms was undertaken by Deng and his allies to "correct the mistakes of the Cultural Revolution", and restore order in the country. The start of the Boluan Fanzheng period is regarded as an inflection point in Chinese history, with its cultural adjustments later proven to be the bedrock upon which the parallel economic reform and opening up could take place. As such, aspects of market capitalism were successfully introduced to the Chinese economy, giving rise to a period of growth often characterized as one of the most impressive economic achievements in human history.

Deng, who had been in and out of favor during the Cultural Revolution, first spoke publicly of the ideas of Boluan Fanzheng in September 1977, roughly a year after Mao's death and the subsequent arrest of the Gang of Four. With the help of allies such as Hu Yaobang, who later became the party's General Secretary, Deng was able to launch his reforms after the 3rd Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee in December 1978, where he had ascended to the paramount leadership role. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Chinese government gradually dismantled the many distinctly Maoist policies associated with the Cultural Revolution, and rehabilitated millions of people who had been targeted during its decade of turmoil. Boluan Fanzheng lasted until the early 1980s, after which the primary focus of CCP and the Chinese government shifted from "class struggle" to further modernization and "economic construction". The subsequent speed of China's transformation in this period from one of the poorest countries to one of the world's largest economies is unmatched in history. In addition, the "1978 Truth Criterion Discussion" during the Boluan Fanzheng period was the starting point of the decade-long New Enlightenment movement in mainland China.