The reform programme has been overwhelmingly economic in nature, but its first stirrings came before the work conference, notably at the summer 1978 State Council forum, where Hua Guofeng and Li Xiannian--not Deng--were key figures.

The Deng Xiaoping era has also seen its share of political intrigue as succession arrangements unraveled: first when Hua Guofeng and other Cultural Revolution beneficiaries were outmaneuvered by reformers in the early 1980s; later when Hu Yaobang lost Deng's favor and was forced into retirement in 1987; and most recently when Zhao Ziyang similarly lost Deng's confidence and was removed from his posts in the wake of the pro-democracy movement of 1989.

Deng was not able to seize power right away, though, and Mao was replaced by Hua Guofeng, a middle-of-the-road compromiser, who was eventually edged aside by Deng in December 1978.