' s ▁memory ▁still ▁l inger ed ▁strong , ▁and ▁her ▁sentence ▁was ▁later ▁comm uted ▁to ▁life . ▁She ▁h anged ▁herself ▁in ▁a ▁Be ij ing ▁hospital ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁while ▁under going ▁treatment ▁for ▁thro at ▁cancer . ▁ ▁The ▁power ▁transition ▁from ▁H ua ▁to ▁D eng ▁was ▁confirmed ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 7 8 , ▁at ▁the ▁Third ▁Pl enum ▁of ▁the ▁Central ▁Committee ▁of ▁the ▁Ele vent h ▁National ▁Party ▁Congress , ▁a ▁turning ▁point ▁in ▁China ' s ▁history . ▁The ▁course ▁was ▁laid ▁for ▁the ▁party ▁to ▁move ▁the ▁world ' s ▁most ▁popul ous ▁nation ▁toward ▁the ▁am bit ious ▁targets ▁of ▁the ▁Four ▁Modern izations . ▁ ▁After ▁a ▁de cade ▁of ▁tur mo il ▁brought ▁about ▁by ▁the ▁Cultural ▁Revolution , ▁the ▁new ▁direction ▁set ▁at ▁this ▁meeting ▁was ▁toward ▁economic ▁development ▁and ▁away ▁from ▁class ▁struggle . ▁The ▁pl enum ▁end ors ed ▁major ▁changes ▁in ▁the ▁political , ▁economic , ▁and ▁social ▁system . ▁H ua ▁ren ounced ▁his ▁" Two ▁Wh ate vers " ▁and ▁offered ▁a ▁full ▁self - crit ic ism . ▁Rep la cing ▁the ▁old ▁focus ▁of ▁class ▁strugg les ▁was ▁the ▁new ▁policy ▁focused ▁on ▁economic ▁construction . ▁ ▁It ▁also ▁instit uted ▁swe eping ▁personnel ▁changes , ▁cul min ating ▁in ▁the ▁elev ation ▁of ▁two ▁key ▁supp or ters ▁of ▁D eng ▁X ia op ing ▁and ▁the ▁reform ▁program , ▁Hu ▁Ya ob ang ▁and ▁Z ha