An analysis of the Chinese Communist Party from the time of Deng Xiaoping's return to power in 1978 to his resignation from his last major party post in the wake of the 1989 Tiananmen crisis, this work traces the evolution of Deng's grand strategy to create unity and stability so that he could launch his ambitious programme to modernize China by the year 2000. The author examines the impact of Deng's goal on the events of spring 1989.