Deng Xiaoping quotes

Deng Xiaoping was a Chinese politician and reformist leader who guided China through significant economic and social reforms. His policies opened China to the global market and transformed it into a major economic power. He is credited with modernizing China's economy and improving the country's standard of living. Here are 33 of his quotes:

It doesn't matter whether the cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice. (Deng Xiaoping)
When our thousands of Chinese students abroad return home, you will see how China will transform itself. View quote
Deng Xiaoping
The United States brags about its political system, but the [American] President says one thing during the election, something else when he takes office, something else at midterm and something else when he leaves. View quote
Deng Xiaoping
Let some people get rich first. View quote
Deng Xiaoping
Seek Truth from Facts. View quote
Deng Xiaoping
No matter if it is a white cat or a black cat; as long as it can catch mice, it is a good cat. View quote
Deng Xiaoping
To get rich is glorious! View quote
Deng Xiaoping
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. View quote
Deng Xiaoping
Keep a cool head and maintain a low profile. Never take the lead - but aim to do something big. View quote
Deng Xiaoping
Poverty is not socialism. To be rich is glorious. View quote
Deng Xiaoping
One Country, Two systems. (Deng Xiaoping)
Crossing the river by feeling the stones. View quote
Deng Xiaoping
A basic contradiction between socialism and the market economy does not exist. View quote
Deng Xiaoping
If you open a window for fresh air, you have to expect some flies to blow in. View quote
Deng Xiaoping
What is right and what is wrong in regard to political line has been basically clarified, we have mapped out a programme and the measures for carrying it out, and the masses are already on the move. View quote
Deng Xiaoping
Our people are undertaking the historic mission of modernizing our agriculture, industry, national defence and science and technology within the present century, in order to transform China into a modern and powerful socialist state. View quote
Deng Xiaoping
Reform is Chinas second revolution. View quote
Deng Xiaoping
Young leading cadres have risen up by helicopter. They should really rise step by step. View quote
Deng Xiaoping
The minority yields to the majority! View quote
Deng Xiaoping
The Chinese Government extends its warm congratulations on the convocation of this session and hopes that it will make a positive contribution to strengthening the unity of the developing countries, safeguarding their national economic rights and interests and promoting the struggle of all peoples against imperialism, and particularly against hegemonism. View quote
Deng Xiaoping
The two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, are vainly seeking world hegemony. Each in its own way attempts to bring the developing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America under its control and, at the same time, to bully the developed countries that are not their match in strength. (Deng Xiaoping)
The two superpowers have created their own antithesis. Acting in the way of the big bullying the small, the strong domineering over the weak and the rich oppressing the poor, they have aroused strong resistance among the Third World and the people of the whole world. The people of Asia, Africa and Latin America have been winning new victories in their struggles against colonialism, imperialism, and particularly hegemonism. The Indochinese peoples are continuing to press forward in their struggles against U.S. imperialist aggression and for national liberation. View quote
Deng Xiaoping
Self-reliance in no way means "self-seclusion” and rejection of foreign aid. We have always considered it beneficial and necessary for the development of the national economy that countries should carry on economic and technical exchanges on the basis of respect for state sovereignty, equality and mutual benefit, and the exchange of needed goods to make up for each other's deficiencies. View quote
Deng Xiaoping
We hold that international trade should be based on the principles of equality, mutual benefit and the exchange of needed goods. We support the urgent demand of the developing countries to improve trade terms for their raw materials, primary products and semi-manufactured and manufactured goods, to expand their market and to fix equitable and favourable prices. We support the developing countries in establishing various organizations of raw material exporting countries for a united struggle against colonialism, imperialism and hegemonism. View quote
Deng Xiaoping
If one day China should change her colour 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-imperialism, expose it, oppose it and work together with the Chinese people to overthrow it. View quote
Deng Xiaoping