On 18 December 1978 the Third Plenum of the 11th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party opened in Beijing, and shifted the party's priority from class struggle to economic development, under Deng Xiaoping, who had returned to power after Mao's death and the fall of the Gang of Four. In rural areas the household responsibility system let farmers keep their surplus, and farm output soared. Special Economic Zones such as Shenzhen attracted foreign investment from 1980. China's economy grew by nearly 10 per cent a year for three decades, lifting some 800 million people out of poverty, and becoming the second-largest economy. China joined the WTO in 2001.
Before and after
- 1 October 1978Founding of Tuvalu
- from 9 October 1978 to 3 June 1979Uganda–Tanzania War
- November 1978Kurdistan Workers' Party insurgency
- 8 December 1978Death of Golda Meir
- 18 December 1978Deng Xiaoping launches China's 'reform and opening up'
- 19791979 energy crisis
- from 1979 to 2015One-child policy
- from 1 January 1979 to 1 January 1999Introduction of European Currency Unit
- 1979Establishment of Serra da Capivara National Park
More in Society, economy & sport
- 22 March 1945Founding of Arab League
- 27 December 1945Founding of World Bank
- 14 September 1960Founding of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
- 8 December 1991Founding of Commonwealth of Independent States
- 1 January 1995Founding of World Trade Organization
- 4 February 2004Founding of Facebook
The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.