Deng's legacy goes a long way

Overseas scholars' research sheds new light on ideas and contributions from late chief architect of reform and opening

For many foreign scholars, their research into former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping normally starts with the reform and opening-up he initiated in 1978, after which China underwent a wide spectrum of social changes. Ranging from Deng's life and thought to the history of reform in China, the overseas studies of this late Chinese leader have undeniably shed new light on not only his own political, economic, cultural, military and diplomatic thought, but also on his important theories including the "One Country, Two Systems" policy that successfully enabled Hong Kong's smooth return to Chinese administration.

The character of Deng, which many overseas China watchers conventionally highlight in their studies of his life and influence, commonly portray him as "typically pragmatic" in comparison with other former leaders of the Communist Party of China, such as Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai.