How did Mao Zedong’s policies change China after his death?

Following the death of Mao Zedong in 1976, China underwent a fundamental shift in policy under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, moving away from the radicalism of the Cultural Revolution toward economic pragmatism and modernization.123

Key changes included:

• Economic Reform: The government adopted the Four Modernizations as its highest priority, subordinating other tasks to economic development. This involved dismantling the collective farming system in favor of family-based agriculture and introducing market forces into the urban economy to incentivize efficiency.143
• Global Integration: China made a sharp turn toward the international economy, establishing diplomatic relations with the United States and creating special economic zones to attract foreign capital and investment.14
• Social and Political Shifts: While the state remained under the one-party rule of the Chinese Communist Party, it introduced policies such as the one-child policy to manage population growth. However, the government maintained an authoritarian stance, notably suppressing the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests to ensure stability.3

These reforms transformed China into a rapidly growing economy with rising standards of living, though the transition also introduced new challenges like unemployment and social inequality.13