Deng’s China forges new relations. On January 29, 1979, Deng Xiaoping, Chinese Vice Premier, met with President Jimmy Carter in Washington, with whom he signed a momentous scientific and cultural agreement. Deng Xiaoping oversaw profound transformations in China’s history. Having joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1920, he participated in Mao’s Long March in 1934. He was later among the first to advocate for China’s opening to foreign investment, a move that drew criticism from conservatives. Throughout his long political career, he was repeatedly purged and rehabilitated for his controversial economic theories. In 1976, firmly in power, he immediately sought to strengthen ties with the West. In 1979, the United States granted full recognition to the People’s Republic of China, and during a famous visit to the U.S., Deng signed further agreements with President Carter. Deng dominated Chinese politics throughout the 1980s and launched a series of economic reforms. In 1989, he resigned from his last party office, following the controversy surrounding the government-ordered crackdown on Tiananmen Square. He died in 1997.
