Dengs Four Modernizations - Essay Example

China had experienced an economic fiasco. The policies laid down by Zedong’s administration did not work. Corruption was rampant in every sector especially in the worker’s cooperatives (Clements, 2006). These cooperatives could not function properly due to mismanagement of funds. There was a power struggle within the worker’s cooperatives. Its members could not agree on the single principle that will guide them. Chaos and several instances of conflict characterize Mao’s leadership in China. Also, during that period, agricultural and industrial productions in the country were very low. Meanwhile, the country only received little assistance from its ally, Russia (Clements, 2006). Deng Xiaoping inherited this situation. After Mao, Deng became the leader of China.

Although both Mao and Deng have the same political party affiliation, the Communist Party of China (CPC), they have different techniques in governing the country. Under Deng’s leadership, there was a substantial change in China’s economic policies. Deng introduced the main aim of his administration. He described his reform as “socialism with Chinese Characteristics” (Liu, 2004). Apparently, under this principle, the members of society are given more importance. He cited “material base and material production” as the ultimate foundation of socialism. Socialism with Chinese characteristics refers to the combination of basic ideas of scientific socialism and the facts of building socialism in the Chinese community (Anon., 2007). Stated in another sense, socialism is the rule that governs society as a whole. In scientific socialism, the ways of finding solutions to economic and political problems are scientific. A particular social or economic problem is examined scientifically so as to come up with the most appropriate and practicable solution. This is in contrast with Mao’s Utopian socialism.

Deng had emphasized the pragmatic objectives of the Four Modernizations (Kau & Marsh, 1993). The Four Modernizations is composed of the following: (1) agriculture (2) industry (3) Science and Technology (4) National Defense. Deng could have considered instilling modernization among these four aspects. He could have thought that modernization is the only way to change China’s economic situation during that period. In the words of Thayer Watkins (n.d.), in formulating the Four Modernizations, what Deng meant is simply the electrification of rural areas, automation of industries, the introduction of a whole new economic outlook, and the enhancement of national defense.

Significantly, in the agricultural aspect, Deng established a new mechanism that would replace the commune system. This new system pertains to the contract responsibility system. Under this system, the peasants were to make an agreement with the Chinese government with regard to the production and trading of a certain amount of commodities at low prices (Koo, 1990). In other words, the peasant must agree to till the land, produce crops and sell them to the government for a low price. However, as to the agreement, a certain quantity was required by the government. After the peasant could fulfill the agreement, they can then sell their products in the market at any price (Koo, 1990). This mechanism had inspired the farmers to plant and produce more. As such, the agricultural production in China had increased abruptly. The increase went up to eight percent as compared to the previous year (Anon., n.d.).