History of the People's Republic of China in the context of "Hu Jintao"

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.

The social structure of China has an expansive history which begins from the feudal society of Imperial China to the contemporary era. There was a Chinese nobility, beginning with the Zhou dynasty. However, after the Song dynasty, the powerful government offices were not hereditary. Instead, they were selected through the imperial examination system, of written examinations based on Confucian thought, thereby undermining the power of the hereditary aristocracy.

Imperial China divided its society into four occupations or classes, with the emperor ruling over them. Throughout this time period, there were attempts to eradicate this system. Social mobility was difficult, or sometimes nearly impossible, to achieve as social class was primarily defined by an individual's identity. To rise required passing a very difficult written exam. The great majority failed, but for those who passed their entire family rose in status.

Xi Zhongxun (Chinese: 习仲勋; pinyin: Xí Zhòngxūn; 15 October 1913 – 24 May 2002) was a Chinese Communist revolutionary and politician who played a significant role in the history of the People's Republic of China. He served as the first Secretary General of the State Council from 1954 to 1965, Vice Premier of the State Council from 1959 to 1965, Party Secretary of Guangdong from 1978 to 1980, and Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress from 1980 to 1983 and again from 1988 to 1993. He was a member of the influential Eight Elders in the 1980s and was also the father of Xi Jinping, the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party since 2012.

Recognized as a key figure in both the first and second generations of Chinese leadership, Xi played a pivotal role in the Chinese Communist revolution and the development of the People's Republic. His contributions spanned from establishing Communist guerrilla bases in northwestern China in the 1930s to pioneering economic liberalization in southern China in the 1980s. Known for his political moderation, Xi endured multiple purges and periods of imprisonment throughout his career, yet remained a steadfast advocate for reform and pragmatic governance.

The time period in China from the founding of the People's Republic in 1949 until Mao's death in 1976 is commonly known as Maoist China and Red China. The history of the People's Republic of China is often divided distinctly by historians into the Mao era and the post-Mao era. The country's Mao era lasted from the founding of the People's republic on October 1, 1949 to Deng Xiaoping's consolidation of power and policy reversal at the Third plenary session of the 11th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party on December 22, 1978. The Mao era focuses on Mao Zedong's social movements from the early 1950s on, including land reform, the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. The Great Chinese Famine, one of the worst famines in human history, occurred during this era.

The third plenary session of the 11th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party was a pivotal meeting of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party held in Beijing, China, from December 18 to December 22, 1978.

The conference marked the beginning of the Reform and Opening Up policy, and is widely seen as the moment when Deng Xiaoping became paramount leader of China replacing Chairman Hua Guofeng, who remained nominal Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party until 1981. The meeting was a decisive turning point in post-1949 Chinese history, marking the beginning of the wholesale repudiation of Chairman Mao's "Cultural Revolution" policies, and set China on the course for nationwide economic reforms.

Deng Xiaoping's southern tour (Chinese: 邓小平南巡), or 1992 southern tour (九二南巡), or simply Nanxun (南巡) was the tour of Deng Xiaoping, the third paramount leader of China, in southern China, including in Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Guangzhou and Shanghai, from 18 January to 21 February 1992. The talks and remarks made by Deng during the tour resumed and reinforced the implementation of his "reform and opening up" program in mainland China, which had come to a halt after the military crackdown on 1989 Tiananmen Square protests ordered by Deng himself. After Tiananmen Square incident, there was a lack of belief in the Chinese Communist Party both at home and abroad. The US and EU both issued arms embargoes while the World Bank and Asian Development Bank stopped issuing loans to China. The 1992 Southern Tour is widely regarded as a critical point in the modern history of China, as it saved the Chinese economic reform as well as the capital market, and preserved societal stability. It not only preserved stability inside of China, but it was reassuring to foreign countries who had begun to invest large amounts of money into China.

During the southern tour, Deng emphasized to several military leaders of the People's Liberation Army including Yang Shangkun, Liu Huaqing and Yang Baibing, that "those who do not promote reform should be brought down from their leadership positions", forcing Jiang Zemin, then General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), to support and continue the Reforms and Opening-up program. He also wished that Guangdong province would catch up with the Four Asian Tigers in terms of economic development within 20 years. Some of the notable remarks and comments from Deng during the tour included "I don't care if the cat is black or white, so long as it catches mice" (cat theory), which was originally published by him in 1960s, and "development is of overriding importance (发展才是硬道理)" as well as "[the Shenzhen government] should be bolder in carrying out the Reforms and Opening-up, dare to make experiments and should not act as women with bound feet".