Absorbing foreign capital and technology and even allowing foreigners to construct plants in China can only play a complementary role to our effort to develop the productive forces in a socialist society. Of course, this will bring some decadent capitalist influences into China. We are aware of this possibility; it's nothing to be afraid of.

Deng Xiaoping

Categorized in : Play Technology Effort

Observe calmly; secure our position; cope with affairs calmly; hide our capacities and bide our time; be good at maintaining a low profile; and never claim leadership.

Deng Xiaoping

profile maintaining affair

China is not a superpower, nor will she ever seek to be one... If one day China should change her color and turn into a superpower, if she too should play the tyrant in the world, and everywhere subject others to her bullying, aggression and exploitation, the people of the world should identify her as social-imperialist, expose it, oppose it and work together with the Chinese people to overthrow it.

Deng Xiaoping

bullying change power

No matter if it is a white cat or a black cat; as long as it can catch mice, it is a good cat.

Deng Xiaoping

cat white long

Keep a cool head and maintain a low profile. Never take the lead - but aim to do something big.

Deng Xiaoping

profile bigs lows

Cross the river by feeling for stones under one's feet.

Deng Xiaoping

stones feelings rivers

Poverty is not socialism. To be rich is glorious.

Deng Xiaoping

eugenics socialism poverty

Not only did Mao Zedong Thought lead us to victory in the revolution in the past; it is - and will continue to be - a treasured possession of the Chinese Communist Party and of our country. That is why we will forever keep Chairman Mao's portrait on Tiananmen Gate as a symbol of our country, and we will always remember him as a founder of our Party and state. Moreover, we will adhere to Mao Zedong Thought. We will not do to Chairman Mao what Khrushchev did to Stalin.

Deng Xiaoping

party country past

A fundamental contradiction does not exist between socialism and a market economy.

Deng Xiaoping

socialism fundamentals doe

I would be quite content if I myself could be rated fifty-fifty in merits and demerits. But one thing I can say for myself: I have had a clear conscience all my life. Please mark my words: I have made quite a few mistakes, and I have my own share of responsibility for some of the mistakes made by Comrade Mao Zedong. But it can be said that I made my mistake with good intentions. There is nobody who doesn't make mistakes.

Deng Xiaoping

responsibility would-be mistake

We should not lay all past mistakes on Chairman Mao. So we must be very objective in assessing him. His contributions were primary, his mistakes secondary. In China, we will inherit the many good things in Chairman Mao's thinking while at the same time explaining clearly the mistakes he made.

Deng Xiaoping

mistake past thinking

We mustn't fear to adopt the advanced management methods applied in capitalist countries. The very essence of socialism is the liberation and development of the productive systems. Socialism and market economy are not incompatible. We should be concerned about right-wing deviations, but most of all, we must be concerned about left-wing deviations.

Deng Xiaoping

essence wings country

It doesn't matter if a cat is black or white, so long as it catches mice.

Deng Xiaoping

cat white animal

No matter to what degree China opens up to the outside world and admits foreign capital, its relative magnitude will be small and it can't affect our system of socialist public ownership of the means of production.

Deng Xiaoping

degrees mean world

Be reasonable with the students and make sure they see the logic in what we're doing.

Deng Xiaoping

reasonable logic students

The United States brags about its political system, but the President says one thing during the election, something else when he takes office, something else at midterm and something else when he leaves.

Deng Xiaoping

political office president

When our thousands of Chinese students abroad return home, you will see how China will transform itself.

Deng Xiaoping

chinese return home

Let some people get rich first.

Deng Xiaoping

rich people firsts

Reform is Chinas second revolution.

Deng Xiaoping

china reform revolution

Seek truth from facts.

Deng Xiaoping

truth facts

Chairman Mao's greatest contribution was that he applied the principles of Marxism-Leninism to the concrete practice of the Chinese revolution, pointing the way to victory. It should be said that before the sixties or the late fifties many of his ideas brought us victories, and the fundamental principles he advanced were quite correct.

Deng Xiaoping

chinese-revolution practice ideas