The only known American television interview with DENG XIAOPING (CBS; 1986)

Deng Xiaoping, the paramount leader of China, addresses the legacy of the Cultural Revolution and the future of Chinese reform in a rare 1986 interview with Mike Wallace. Drawing from personal and national suffering, he argues that the trauma of the Cultural Revolution served as a catalyst for current economic and political shifts, emphasizing that these policies are irreversible because they have tangibly improved the lives of the people. Rejecting the cult of personality, Deng explains his refusal to have public portraits or a biography, asserting that individual achievements are inseparable from the collective. He advocates for the abolition of life tenure in favor of a retirement system, expressing a personal desire to step down to ensure policy continuity, though he remains bound by party decisions. The discussion highlights the tension between Deng's role as a modernizer and the later, more controversial aspects of his historical legacy.