▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁to ▁meet ▁President ▁Jimmy ▁Carter ▁at ▁the ▁White ▁House . ▁Carter ▁finally ▁recognized ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Republic , ▁which ▁had ▁replaced ▁the ▁Taiwan - based ▁Republic ▁of ▁China ▁as ▁the ▁sole ▁Chinese ▁government ▁recognized ▁by ▁the ▁UN ▁Security ▁Council ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 1 . ▁One ▁of ▁D eng ' s ▁achiev ements ▁was ▁the ▁agreement ▁signed ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁and ▁the ▁P RC ▁on ▁December ▁ 1 9 , ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁under ▁which ▁Hong ▁Kong ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁P RC ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁With ▁the ▁ 9 9 - year ▁le ase ▁on ▁the ▁New ▁Territ ories ▁coming ▁to ▁an ▁end , ▁D eng ▁agreed ▁that ▁the ▁P RC ▁would ▁not ▁inter f ere ▁with ▁Hong ▁Kong ' s ▁capital ist ▁system ▁and ▁would ▁allow ▁the ▁loc als ▁a ▁high ▁degree ▁of ▁aut onomy ▁for ▁at ▁least ▁ 5 0 ▁years . ▁This ▁" one ▁country , ▁two ▁systems " ▁approach ▁has ▁been ▁tout ed ▁by ▁the ▁P RC ▁government ▁as ▁a ▁potential ▁framework ▁within ▁which ▁Taiwan ▁could ▁be ▁reun ited ▁with ▁the ▁main land . ▁D eng , ▁however , ▁did ▁not ▁improve ▁relations ▁with ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union . ▁He ▁continued ▁to ▁ad here ▁to ▁the ▁Ma o ist ▁line ▁of ▁the ▁S ino - S ov iet ▁Split ▁era , ▁which ▁stated ▁that ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁was ▁a ▁super power ▁equally ▁as ▁" he g emon ist