Editing Deng Xiaoping (section)

==== Four modernizations ====
{{Main|Four Modernizations}}
Deng quoted the old proverb "it doesn't matter whether a cat is black or white, if it catches mice it is a good cat", which summarizes his pragmatic "[[Cat theory (Deng Xiaoping)|cat theory]]". The point was that capitalistic methods worked.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=John Naisbitt |url=https://archive.org/details/chinasmegatrends00nais_0 |title=China's Megatrends: The 8 Pillars of a New Society |last2=Doris Naisbitt |publisher=HarperBusiness |year=2010 |isbn=9780061963445 |page=[https://archive.org/details/chinasmegatrends00nais_0/page/4 4] |url-access=registration}}</ref>  Deng worked with his team, especially as Zhao Ziyang, who in 1980 replaced Hua Guofeng as premier, and Hu Yaobang, who in 1981 did the same with the post of party chairman. Deng thus took the reins of power and began to emphasize the goals of "four modernizations" (economy, agriculture, scientific and technological development and national defense). He announced an ambitious plan of opening and liberalizing the economy.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mason |first=David |year=1984 |title=China's Four Modernizations: Blueprint for Development or Prelude to Turmoil? |journal=Asian Affairs |volume=11 |pages=47–70 |doi=10.1080/00927678.1984.10553699 |number=3}}</ref>

The last position of power retained by Hua Guofeng, chairman of the Central Military Commission, was taken by Deng in 1981. However, progress toward military modernization went slowly. A [[Sino-Vietnamese War|border war]] with Vietnam in 1977–1979 made major changes unwise. The war puzzled outside observers, but Xiaoming Zhang argues that Deng had multiple goals: stopping Soviet expansion in the region, obtain American support for his four modernizations, and mobilizing China for reform and integration into the world economy. Deng also sought to strengthen his control of the PLA, and demonstrate to the world that China was capable of fighting a real war. Zhang thinks punishment of Vietnam for its invasion of Cambodia was a minor factor.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Zhang |first=Xiaoming |year=2010 |title=Deng Xiaoping and China's Decision to go to War with Vietnam |journal=Journal of Cold War Studies |volume=12 |issue=3 |pages=3–29 |doi=10.1162/JCWS_a_00001 |s2cid=57559703}}</ref> In the event, the Chinese forces did poorly, in terms of equipment, strategy, leadership, and battlefield performance.{{sfnb|Vogel|2011|p=526–535}} Deng subsequently used the PLA's poor performance to overcome resistance by military leaders to his military reforms.<ref name=":05" />{{Rp|page=230}}

China's primary military threat came from the Soviet Union, which was much more powerful despite having fewer soldiers, owing to its more advanced weapons technology. In March 1981, Deng deemed a [[military exercise]] necessary for the PLA, and in September, the [[North China Military Exercise]] took place, becoming the largest exercise conducted by the PLA since the founding of the People's Republic. Moreover, Deng initiated the [[Modernization of the People's Liberation Army|modernization of the PLA]] and decided that China first had to develop an advanced civilian scientific infrastructure before it could hope to build modern weapons. He therefore concentrated on downsizing the military, cutting 1&nbsp;million troops in 1985 (百万大裁军),<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |date=6 May 1985 |title=Troop Cut to Save Money, Deng Says |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-05-06-mn-4457-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622133140/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-05-06-mn-4457-story.html |archive-date=22 June 2020 |access-date=20 June 2020 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> retiring the elderly and corrupt senior officers and their cronies. He emphasized the recruitment of much better educated young men who would be able to handle the advanced technology when it finally arrived. Instead of patronage and corruption in the officer corps, he imposed strict discipline in all ranks. In 1982 he established a new Commission for Science, Technology, and Industry for National Defense to plan for using technology developed in the civilian sector.{{sfnb|Vogel|2011|p=535–552}}<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Dreyer |first=June Teufel |year=1988 |title=Deng Xiaoping and Modernization of the Chinese Military |journal=Armed Forces & Society |volume=14 |issue=2 |pages=215–231 |doi=10.1177/0095327X8801400203 |s2cid=144391672}}</ref>