February 19 marked the 20th anniversary of the death of former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping. On social media, many Chinese have remembered the day and were spontaneously commemorating Deng, who was one of the most distinguished politicians of the 20th century, and is addressed by the Chinese government respectfully as the "chief designer of reform and opening-up." 

During the years in which Deng profoundly influenced China from the beginning of reform and opening-up until the 1990s, he received plenty of praise, but was also a controversial figure. However, one thing cannot be denied. Deng’s legacies in terms of politics, economy and diplomacy continue to inspire China across the years.

In the view of the former Chinese ambassador to Iran, Hua Liming, Deng led China out of a chaotic era.

“Deng’s most political legacy is to end the class struggle inside China, and economically he made China rich. If we say Mao let Chinese people have independence, Deng was the man who made Chinese rich. Diplomatically, he was the man who changed China’s relations with the only superpower, the United States, and improved the relationship with the former Soviet Union, and also improved the relationship with all Chinese neighbors."

Making the comparison with globalization, Tao Wenzhao, researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, noted that there were costs that go along with what he sees as an overall positive effect. 

“I would say nothing is 100 percent perfect, correct. Nothing is perfect. As with globalization we see, it’s of course a very good thing, but globalization also has negative implications and negative sides. Reform and opening-up, I think, is very good. Without opening-up, China would not have become the number two world economy today, would not have become number one in trade in the world,” said Tao.

“But reform and opening-up also has some kind of corruption, deterioration of the environment. If you just pay attention to the negative sides and implications, then you would say the former policy would be better, but we have to say without reform and opening-up China would not become the number two economy in the world today,” he added.

Deng Xiaoping was widely admired while he lived. And 20 years after his death, the estimation of his achievements continues to grow.