▁was ▁emphas ized ▁in ▁the ▁P LA ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁and ▁the ▁system ▁of ▁ranks ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁abol ished ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁was ▁slowly ▁restored . ▁On ▁National ▁Day ▁( Oct ober ▁ 1 ) ▁ 1 9 8 4 , ▁China ▁st aged ▁its ▁first ▁military ▁para de ▁since ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁to ▁celebr ate ▁the ▁ 3 5 th ▁anni versary ▁of ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Republic ▁of ▁China . ▁These ▁par ades ▁had ▁been ▁held ▁every ▁year ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁then ▁called ▁off ▁due ▁to ▁cost ▁reasons . ▁The ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁event ▁however ▁showed ▁the ▁relative ▁back ward ness ▁of ▁China ' s ▁armed ▁forces , ▁which ▁had ▁only ▁recently ▁reached ▁the ▁techn ological ▁level ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁ 2 5 ▁years ▁earlier . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 5 , ▁Ye h ▁J ian y ang ▁and ▁several ▁other ▁elder ly ▁party ▁leaders ▁agreed ▁to ▁ret ire . ▁ ▁D eng ▁argued ▁that ▁China ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁primary ▁stage ▁of ▁social ism ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁duty ▁of ▁the ▁party ▁was ▁to ▁perfect ▁" social ism ▁with ▁Chinese ▁characteristics ." ▁This ▁interpretation ▁of ▁Chinese ▁Marx ism ▁reduced ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁ide ology ▁in ▁economic ▁decision - making ▁and ▁emphas ized ▁policies ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁proven ▁to ▁be ▁empir ically ▁effective , ▁stress ing ▁the ▁need ▁to ▁" se ek ▁truth ▁from ▁facts ". ▁Re ject ing ▁Ma o '