Deng Xiaoping

American  

[duhng shou-ping, dœng shyou-ping] / ˈdʌŋ ˌʃaʊˈpɪŋ, ˈdœŋ ˈʃyaʊˈpɪŋ /

(Wade-Giles) Teng Hsiao-ping,

noun

1. 1904–97, Chinese Communist leader and China's de facto leader: held various titles in the Communist Party until his official retirement in 1989.

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Deng Xiaoping British  

/ ˈdʌŋ ˈsjaʊpɪŋ /

noun

1. 1904–97, Chinese Communist statesman; deputy prime minister (1973–76; 1977–80) and the dominant figure in the Chinese government from 1977 until his death. He was twice removed from office (1967–73, 1976–77) and rehabilitated. He introduced economic liberalization, but suppressed demands for political reform, most notably in 1989 when over 2500 demonstrators were killed by the military in Tiananmen Square in Beijing

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Deng Xiaoping Cultural  

1. A long-time leader of the Communist party in China, he was purged during the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution for criticizing the excesses of Mao Zedong, but he returned to power in the 1970s and guided China on a course of pragmatic economic reforms.

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Example Sentences

After meeting with Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in 1984, President Reagan believed that market reforms could move China toward American-style capitalism, democracy and individualism.

From MarketWatch • May 14, 2026

"The Middle East has oil, China has rare earths," former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping said in a 1992 speech.

From Barron's • Dec. 21, 2025

Issued under Deng Xiaoping, Document 19 was often presented to the outside world as a liberalizing gesture, since it criticized the excesses of the Cultural Revolution and permitted “normal religious activities” under state supervision.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025

Former President Richard Nixon wrote a letter to Deng Xiaoping calling for Fang’s release.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 27, 2025

The presence of Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping next week will help to inaugurate that new era.

From State of the Union Address by Carter, Jimmy