Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China

by Ezra F. Vogel

The Zhou Enlai memorial activities interrupted the Politburo sessions attacking Deng for only a few days. Mao, dissatisfied with Deng's two self-criticisms, had directed the day before Zhou's memorial service that both of these self-criticisms be printed and distributed to the Politburo for further consideration.17 For Deng, the meaning was ominous. At the Politburo meeting on January 20 when Deng made his third self-criticism, he again requested an opportunity to meet Mao. Jiang Qing demanded to know why, and Deng replied that he wanted to talk personally to the Chairman about the seriousness of his errors, to hear personally the Chairman's criticisms and directions, and to present some problems he had had in his work.18 Mao, however, made no exception to his usual practice of refusing to meet anyone who had become a target of his criticism. He chose not to hear from Deng in private what he could later easily retract.19