Deng Xiaoping and Reunification
- Tried to assure Taiwanese that if they rejoined China they would still have autonomy
- They didn't want to, but trade increased between the two
- Large market for Chinese consumer groups in Taiwan
- 1987 Taiwan lifts its ban on travel to the mainland
- Also pushed for the reunification of Hong Kong (Xianggang)
- This happens in 1997 and it becomes a Special Administrative Region (SAR)
- Hong Kong was basically allowed to operate as it had (capitalist) and it made the rest of China want to do the same thing, though mainland China has more censorship to this day
Deng Xiaoping and Economic Changes "To Get Rich is Glorious"
- Coming to power in 1979 instates agricultural reforms
- Encouraged famers to sell on the open market
- Also allowed for the contracting of plots of land (excess profits could be kept) 'productive responsibility system'
- it gave people motivation to make more
- China accepts loans and foreign investments (americans come in and pay for a factory to be built in China and then they sell them back in the U.S= china has cheap labour)
- Joined the International Monetary Fund (IMF) (formed by the U.N) and The World Bank = formed so that countries can't go bankrupt because if a country goes bankrupt it effects the entire world economy
Social Changes in the 1980s
- The single child policy introduced in 1979
- Tax benefits to families who accepted this (some lost their private plots of land if they didn't comply)
- if you only have one child you get tax breaks
- wanted boys, adoption of chinese girls increased and also the killing of chinese girl babies
- Marriage law brought in 1980 (confirmed the rights of women and raised age of marriage (Male went from 20 to 22 and Females from 18 to 20)
- wanted people to go and get educations
Summary
When Deng Xiaoping came into power he tried to get Tiawan to reunify with China by telling them they would still have autonomy. Tiawan declined but trade increased between the two. Deng also wanted Hong Kong back and it became an SAR which meant it could operate on its own but still be part of China. He encouraged farmers to sell on the open market and allowed people to keep excess profits from their land. This made people more motivated. China also began to accept foreign investments. Many social changes came about as well, such as the single child policy and Marriage laws.