Editing Deng Xiaoping (section)

=== Paramount leader ===
[[File:Deng Xiaoping and Jimmy Carter at the arrival ceremony for the Vice Premier of China. - NARA - 183157-restored.jpg|thumb|Deng Xiaoping and [[Jimmy Carter]] at the arrival ceremony of [[State visit by Deng Xiaoping to the United States|Deng's visit to the US]] (1979)|alt=]]
Following Mao's death on 9 September 1976 and the purge of the Gang of Four in October 1976, Premier [[Hua Guofeng]] succeeded as [[Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party]] and gradually emerged as the ''de facto'' leader of China. Prior to Mao's death, the only governmental position Deng held was that of First Vice Premier of the State Council,<ref>1975–1976 and 1977–1980, Europa Publications (2002) "The People's Republic of Chine: Introductory Survey" ''The Europa World Year Book 2003'' volume 1, (44th edition) Europa Publications, London, p. 1075, col. 1, {{ISBN|1-85743-227-4}}; and Bo, Zhiyue (2007) ''China's Elite Politics: Political Transition and Power Balancing'' World Scientific, Hackensack, New Jersey, p. 59, {{ISBN|981-270-041-2}}</ref> but Hua Guofeng wanted to rid the Party of extremists and successfully marginalised the Gang of Four. On 22 July 1977, Deng was restored to the posts of vice-chairman of the Central Committee, vice-chairman of the Military Commission and Chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army.<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 July 1977 |title=1977: Deng Xiaoping back in power |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/22/newsid_2516000/2516339.stm |url-status=live |access-date=21 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728025020/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/22/newsid_2516000/2516339.stm |archive-date=28 July 2017}}</ref>

By carefully mobilizing his supporters within the party, Deng outmaneuvered Hua, who had pardoned him, then ousted Hua from his top leadership positions by 1980. In contrast to previous leadership changes, Deng allowed Hua to retain membership in the Central Committee and quietly retire, helping to set the precedent that losing a high-level leadership struggle would not result in physical harm.

During his paramount leadership, his official state positions were [[Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference]] from 1978 to 1983 and [[Chairman of the Central Military Commission (China)|Chairman of the Central Military Commission]] (an ''ad hoc'' body comprising the most senior members of the party elite) of the People's Republic of China from 1983 to 1990, while his official party positions were [[Vice Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party]] from 1977 to 1982, Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Chinese Communist Party from 1981 to 1989 and Chairman of the [[Central Advisory Commission]] from 1982 to 1987. He was offered the rank of General First Class in 1988 when the PLA restored military ranks, but as in 1955, he once again declined. Even after retiring from the [[Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party]] in 1987 and the Central Military Commission in 1989, Deng continued to exert influence over China's policies until his death in 1997.

Important decisions were always taken in Deng's home at No. 11 Miliangku Hutong with a caucus of eight senior party cadres, called "[[Eight Elders]]", especially with [[Chen Yun]] and Li Xiannian.<ref>{{cite web |title=百年老胡同米粮库中的那些名人"住客" |url=https://www.visitbeijing.com.cn/article/47QrNuQyRVf |website=visitbeijing.com |publisher=Beijing Tourism Network |access-date=30 April 2023 |archive-date=30 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230430003858/https://www.visitbeijing.com.cn/article/47QrNuQyRVf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title="家庭园艺师"邓小平 |url=http://cpc.people.com.cn/n1/2018/0907/c69113-30278378.html |website=people.com |publisher=People's Daily |access-date=30 August 2024 |archive-date=30 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240830004907/http://cpc.people.com.cn/n1/2018/0907/c69113-30278378.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Despite Deng's recognition as paramount leader, in practice these elders governed China as a small collective leadership.<ref name=":26">{{Cite book |last=Ang |first=Yuen Yuen |url= |title=How China Escaped the Poverty Trap |date=2016 |publisher=[[Cornell University Press]] |isbn=978-1-5017-0020-0 |doi= |jstor=10.7591/j.ctt1zgwm1j |author-link=Yuen Yuen Ang}}</ref>{{Rp|page=78}} Deng ruled as "paramount leader" although he never held the top title of the party, and was able to successively remove three party leaders, including Hu Yaobang.<ref name="scmp20120420xiang">Xiang, Lanxin (20 April 2012). "Bo Xilai probe shows up China's outdated system of government". ''South China Morning Post''</ref> Deng stepped down from the Central Committee and its Politburo Standing Committee. However, he remained as the chairman of the State and Party's Central Military Commission and was still seen as the paramount leader of China rather than General Secretary [[Zhao Ziyang]] and Presidents Li Xiannian and [[Yang Shangkun]].