[칼럼] Hero and Sage Story 4 -  ● Little Giant Deng Xiaoping and Pragmatism

(NewsKorea=Seoul) Digital News Team = Hero and Sage Story 4 - ● Little Giant Deng Xiaoping and Pragmatism

 "Just as it is a miracle that China practices communism, it is equally a miracle that Korea practices democracy." This joke, often repeated under the title "The Enigma of the 20th Century," carries a poignant lesson that lingers beyond a simple laugh.

This non-joke humorously highlights two realities: China, a country with communist politics and a capitalist economy, is rapidly rising with expectations to soon surpass the United States as the world's most powerful nation. Meanwhile, half of the Korean Peninsula harbors a rare, anachronistic theocratic state, a shameful reality.
 
Many self-proclaimed 'progressives' in Korea, including its presidents, often cite Mao Zedong as a figure of respect, but this is a misconception. Mao Zedong was a figure who wanted to become the emperor of a 'People's Empire' that extended from ancient times, ultimately setting China back during the valuable mid-20th century. Despite this, Mao Zedong became a revered figure in neighboring countries and distant places like Africa. The problem may lie not only with Mao himself but even more with those who revere such a figure.

The actual builder of modern China was not an ideological leader like Mao Zedong but a pragmatic leader who twisted communism to create a new Chinese paradigm. That person was Deng Xiaoping.

In Chengdu, Sichuan Province, Southwest China, you can find many traces of Deng Xiaoping. Born in Xiexing, Guang'an County, Sichuan Province, as a descendant of the Hakka people, Deng Xiaoping returned to his hometown after a long absence following the end of the Cultural Revolution in the 1970s. After visiting various places in Sichuan, once the ancient land of Shu, and seeing the miserable lives of the people unchanged since the late Qing Dynasty, Deng reportedly shed tears. I have no doubt that these tears, driven by his awakening upon witnessing the impoverished lives of his hometown people, became the driving force that is now propelling China to the status of a world superpower.

Deng Xiaoping's appearance inevitably brings to mind the image of a roly-poly toy. With a short stature, a large head, a plump belly fitting of an elderly man, and short legs, he truly resembles a roly-poly. While Napoleon is often cited as the archetype of a short, stout leader, Deng Xiaoping and Napoleon had entirely different physiques and political styles.
 
Deng Xiaoping also studied in France, the country of Napoleon. Unlike Mao Zedong, who aspired to act like an emperor, Deng Xiaoping's pragmatic and rational thinking turned China around 180 degrees. This change likely stemmed from the rationalism of European intellect that he absorbed during his studies in France. Zhou Enlai had a similar disposition but fulfilled his historical duty by playing the role of a second-in-command under Mao Zedong's shadow. But Deng Xiaoping was different. Let's briefly look back at his achievements.

In the early 1930s, the Chinese Communist Party was mired in severe internal conflicts. Zhou Enlai, whom Deng Xiaoping considered his 'big brother,' along with figures like Zhu De, followed the Comintern's strategy of attacking major cities with the so-called 'International Faction.' However, Mao Zedong, aligning with China's realities, proposed a guerrilla strategy of 'encircling the cities by attacking the countryside.' At that time, Deng Xiaoping supported Mao Zedong's line.
 
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the country was divided into six regional administrative committees governed by military leaders. Deng Xiaoping became the vice-chairman of the Southwest Administrative Committee, overseeing Sichuan Province, Guizhou Province, Yunnan Province, and Xikang Province. In 1952, he entered central politics, was appointed Vice Premier of the State Council, and emerged within the party apparatus, being selected as General Secretary of the Central Committee in 1954.

However, the campaign to de-Stalinize the Soviet Union, led by First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev in 1956, also influenced the Chinese Communist Party, inevitably intensifying the conflict between Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping.
 
Liu Shaoqi's pragmatic line confronted Mao Zedong's radical line during the 'Great Leap Forward,' with Deng Xiaoping siding with Liu Shaoqi. In the 1962 Central Secretariat meeting, Deng stated, "The most urgent task at present is increasing grain production. If increasing production is possible, we can adopt individual management methods. Whether a cat is white or black, as long as it catches mice, it is a good cat." This statement introduced the so-called 'White Cat, Black Cat Theory.'

During the so-called Cultural Revolution that began in 1965, Deng Xiaoping was labeled the 'Second Capitalist Roader' and was sent down to the Jiangxi Provincial Production and Construction Corps in 1968. It was a purge. At that time, Deng Xiaoping was 62 years old, and for five years, until his reinstatement in 1973, he endured severe humiliation and the threat of death. 

After Mao Zedong's death, Deng Xiaoping was reinstated by Hua Guofeng. In the 1978 Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee, he gained the 'supreme leadership position' in the party. In 1981, he became Chairman of the Central Military Commission, taking control of the military. He emerged as China's de facto leader. Even after stepping down from official positions and as the party and state leadership passed from Hu Yaobang to Jiang Zemin, Deng Xiaoping continued to play the role of a 'founding father,' steering China's development. His 'Southern Tour Speech' in January 1992 during his visit to the coastal regions became a guiding principle for China's national policy.
"We once said that only under socialism can the productive forces develop. However, neglecting the development of productive forces through reform is wrong. If we do not practice socialism and do not pursue reform and opening up, the economy will not develop. If the people's livelihood does not improve, socialism cannot be implemented. The threat to others from theorists or politicians comes not from the right but from the left."

Lee knows of heroic figures who recognized the errors of ideology, boldly corrected their course, and brought reform to their impoverished nations through socialist experiments. Gorbachev did this, and so did Deng Xiaoping. While Gorbachev's reforms led to the collapse of the Soviet Union, Deng Xiaoping's 'White Cat, Black Cat Theory' resulted in 'Chinese-style socialism,' which introduced capitalism while maintaining the communist system. Some scholars attribute this difference to the cultural differences between the Slavs and the Chinese. While this may have some validity, I believe the difference between Gorbachev and Deng Xiaoping was greater. 

Deng Xiaoping's governance was masterful in incorporating elements of capitalism, pursuing reform, and promoting economic development policies while ensuring that all these policies remained within the framework of the Chinese Communist Party's one-party dictatorship.

At this point, one thing is certain: thanks to Deng Xiaoping, 1.4 billion Chinese people believe that 'the nation has developed, and the people's lives have greatly improved.' This is evidence that Deng Xiaoping's line and reforms were correct.

Here, we are left with a question: Why has no figure like Gorbachev of the former Soviet Union or Deng Xiaoping of China emerged in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on the northern half of the Korean Peninsula? Could it be due to the undemocratic tendencies in the Korean people's blood, as suggested by the joke quoted at the beginning? Or does history hold some seed of change that we cannot yet predict?

☆ Author:  Atty Jeong-kee Kim ☆

● Education
- Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Summa Cum Laude, State University of New York at Stony Brook
-  Doctor of Jurisprudence, Marquette University Law School
- Senior Executive Program, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
- Research Scholar in North Korean Studies, Peking University

● Experience
- Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai
- Commissioner General for the Korean Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai Expo
- CEO, Asia-Pacific Local Government Network for Economic and Social Development (CityNet)
- Secretary General, World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization(WeGO)
- Law Clerk, Milwaukee Circuit Court, USA
- Senior Attorney-at-Law, Dr & Aju LLC
- Distinguished Visiting Professor, World Economy Research Institute, Nanjing University
- Research Professor, Institute of Oriental Studies, Peking University
- Distinguished Professor, Graduate School of Political Science, Kookmin University
- Chair Professor, Graduate School of Business, Dongguk University
- First President of Soongsil Cyber University

● Publications
- Georo English Studies Series for College Students [10 volumes] (Georo Publishing)
- I Challenge the Possibility of One Percent (Chosun Ilbo)
- The Art of Negotiation (Cheongnyonneongsin Publishing)
- Korea and the World (Chekmidum Publishing)