consciousness." This correct consciousness could be exhibited by the way people lived. Thus, by demonstrating their expertise in a more practical area of competence, the leaders of the CCP felt they could demonstrate how they were serving the people. Economic reform came about as a result of an attempt by CCP leaders to demonstrate, in a more practical way than Mao had done, their moral force. (Xu 247) This is not to say that the idea of economic reform was embraced enthusiastically by all members of the Chinese Communist Party in 1978. To a great extent, the issue of economic reform became politicized when the issue was used as a means by Deng Xiaoping to obtain the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party. Hua Guofeng, had tried to prove himself a worthy successor to Mao by draping himself in the mantle of Maoist tradition. His approach to economic development was "orthodox Maoism with an up-to-date, international twist" (Shirk 35). This approach was tied heavily to the development of China's oil reserves. When estimates of the oil reserves were reported to be dropping, commitments to import plants and expand heavy industry could not be sustained. Deng took advantage of this economic crisis to discredit Hua and aim for leadership of the party. Reform policies became Deng's platform against Hua. (Shirk 35-36) Once Deng and his faction had prevailed, it was necessary for some sort of economic reform to evolve. The initial form the new economy took was not a radical one. China was still a state in which the central government retained the dominant power in economic resource allocation and local officials worked for the interest of the units under their control (Solinger 103). However, as time passed, some basic aspects of the old system were altered either by design or by the process of neglect. In 1985, further reforms were introduced. For example, long-term sales contracts between farmers and the government were establ...
