Author:EzraF.Vogel
Paperback,928pages
PublishedbyBelknapPressofHarvardUniversityPress
THISyearmarksthe40thanniversaryofChina’sreformandopening-up,andDengXiaopingisreputedasthechiefarchitectofthisgrandundertaking.Therefore,foreignreadersarerecommendedtoreadDengXiaopingandtheTransformationofChinawrittenbyprofessorEzraF.Vogel,whoisnicknamed“Mr.China”atHarvardUniversity.
Ittooktheauthor10yearstocompletethebiography,whichisapanoramicdescriptionofDeng’srollercoasterlifeandhisleadingroleinreformandopening-uptotheoutsideworld.Basedonabundanthistoricaldocuments,researchbothathomeandabroad,archives,aswellasexclusiveinterviews,Vogel,inhisdistinctiveway,conductedanin-depthanalysisofDeng’spersonalityandpoliticalcareer,aswellasacomprehensiveinterpretationofthatperiodofhistory.
PersonagessuchasChairmanMaoZedong,PremierZhouEnlai,andVicePremierChenYun,andtheirrelationswithDengareexpoundedupon,togetherwithmajoreventsanddecisionsincludingtheThirdPlenarySessionoftheCPC’s11thCentralCommittee,establishmentofChina-U.S.diplomaticrelations,tentativepoliticalreform,constructionofspecialeconomiczones,thepolicyofonecountryandtwosystems,andDeng’ssoutherntourin1992.
Thebook’ssixpartsencom-pass23chapters,fromDeng’sbirthin1904tohissouthernjourneyin1992,aretrospectonhislifeinchronologicalorder,includingLifeExperience(19041969),BanishmentandReturn(1969-1977),UsheringintheTimesofDeng(1978-1980),AfterReformandOpening-Up(19781989),ChallengesintheTimesofDeng(1989-1992),andDeng’sHistoricStatus(ChinaTransformed).
EzraF.Vogel,aHenryFordIIProfessoroftheSocialSciencesEmeritusatHarvardUniversity,wasoncethedirectoroftheFairbankCenterforEastAsianResearch.AsascholarwhoseresearchconcentratedonJapanandChina,hehaswrittenmultipleworksincludingJapanasNumberOne:LessonsforAmerica;CantonunderCommunism:ProgramsandPoliticsinaProvincialCapital,1949-1968;andOneStepAheadinChina:GuangdongUnderReform.
InSeptember2011,HarvardUniversityPresspublishedDengXiaopingandtheTransformationofChina,whichinstantlybecamea“mustreadoncontemporaryChina,”honoredintheshortlistofAmericanNationalBookAwards,a2012LionelGelberPrizewinner,andwasrecommendedbyTheEconomistandtheNewYorkTimes,aswellasbyformerU.S.presidentsJimmyCarterandBillClinton,formerU.S.NationalSecurityAdvisorZbigniewBrzezinski,andBillGates.
“He’ssmall,tough,intelligent,frank,courageous,personable,self-assuredandfriendly.It’sapleasureformetonegotiatewithhim.”FormerU.S.PresidentJimmyCarterrecalledofDeng,andacclaimedthatthebookwasanimpressivebiography.HeregardedDengasoneofthemostimportantfiguresofthe20thcentury,whopushedforwardthetransformationofChina’seconomy,politics,andsociety,aswellastheestablishmentofdiplomaticrelationsbetweentheU.S.andChina,agreatachievementforbothnations.
FactsarethefootstoneofVogel’sresearchandwritingsonDengXiaoping,wholeftbehindneitherprivatedocuments,nornotesordiaries.Dengneverrevealedhismajordecisionstothepublic;andnooneknowswhatDengwasthinkingon.Vogelthereforedidasolidjob,readingbooks,researchingsources,andinterviewingwitnessesandinsiders.HeexchangedviewswithChineseandforeigntopleaders,metwithDeng’srelativesandpersonswhohelddifferentpositions,aswellassomeintellectuals.HevisitedRuijinCountyinJiangxiProvincewhereDengservedastheCountyPartySecretary,toTaihangMountainwhereDengestablishedtheanti-Japanesebase,andalsotoDeng’shometowninGuang’anofSichuanProvince.Inaddition,hemanagedtodiscusswithforeignstatesmenwhometornegotiatedwithDeng,includingthefirstPrimeMinisterofSingaporeLeeKuanYew,formerGovernorofHongKongSirMurrayMcLehoseandformerU.S.SecretaryofStateHenryAlfredKissinger.
Inthe1980s,VogelstayedinGuangdongProvincewhereDengstartedtheeconomicreform.Duringthesevenoreightmonths,Vogelchattedwithdirectorsfromcounty-leveleconomiccommitteestoknoweverydetailofthereform.Basedonhisresearchandobservation,theauthorformedadistinctiveunderstandingoncontemporaryChina.
VogelpredictsthatChina’sGDPwillsurpassthatoftheU.S.in10or20years.TheU.S.-Chinarelationshipistobecomethemostimportantrelationshipintheworld,whichurgesthetwobignationstoseekpeace,avoidconflict,andenhancemutualunderstanding.IfanAmericanwantstoknowChina,theymuststudythehistoryofreformandopening-upsinceChinahastakenontremendouschangesinthecourse.
VogelsaysintheprefacethatthebookisbasedonDeng’swordsanddeedsandhecannotdisguisehisadmirationforthelateChineseleader.Denghasexertedahugeimpactontheworld,andcompletelychangedthedirectionofhisnationaftersufferingthe“greatleapforward”(19581960)andthe“culturalrevolution”(1966-1976).TheauthorhopesthatChinesepeopleregardthebookasaseriousstudyonChina’sreformandopening-up.
Foranoctogenarianauthor,adecadeoftimeandeffortisneitheratrivialnoraneasyinvestment.Thebookmeritsathoroughreadingconsideringtheimpressiveamountofattentiontodetail,research,andmonumentaleffortsthatwentintoit.