With the death of Deng Xiaoping, a star has fallen in the international firmament marking the end of an era.
It is a measure of the greatness of the 92-year-old Chinese leader that although his death had been widely anticipated, the impact of his death is still fully felt because of the economic reforms he set in motion which changed the face of China and the world.
The greatest challenges facing Deng’s successors is to institute political liberalisation and ensure an equitable development in China.
(20/2/97)