' s ▁sign ifying ▁the ▁coming ▁of ▁the ▁reform ▁and ▁opening ▁up , ▁political ▁histor ians ▁Frederick ▁C . ▁Te iw es ▁and ▁Warren ▁Sun ▁argue ▁that ▁H ua ▁Gu of eng , ▁generally ▁seen ▁as ▁a ▁loyal ▁follow er ▁of ▁Ma o ▁Z ed ong , ▁had ▁already ▁advoc ated ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁policies ▁that ▁D eng ▁was ▁to ▁implement ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁The ▁idea ▁that ▁H ua ▁was ▁a ▁trans itional ▁figure ▁before ▁D eng ▁ste ered ▁the ▁reform ▁and ▁opening - up ▁on ▁its ▁full ▁course ▁is ▁un ten able ▁because ▁“ on ▁all ▁key ▁dimensions ▁- ▁the ▁over amb it ious ▁drive ▁for ▁growth , ▁a ▁newly ▁exp ans ive ▁policy ▁of ▁open ness ▁to ▁the ▁outside ▁world , ▁and ▁limited ▁steps ▁toward ▁management ▁reform ▁- ▁H ua ▁and ▁D eng ▁were ▁in ▁basic ▁agreement .” ▁With ▁respect ▁to ▁self - re liance ▁and ▁foreign ▁economic ▁relations , ▁H ua , ▁for ▁instance , ▁was ▁in ▁charge ▁of ▁appro ving ▁the ▁setting ▁up ▁special ▁economic ▁zones . ▁Even ▁earlier ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁Ma o ▁himself ▁approved ▁the ▁imports ▁of ▁goods ▁that ▁allowed ▁further ▁invol vement ▁in ▁international ▁trade ▁in ▁late ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁So on ▁after ▁Ma o ' s ▁death , ▁central ▁leaders ▁were ▁generally ▁committed ▁to ▁production - orient ed ▁policies ▁and ▁open ▁to ▁importing ▁foreign ▁technology ▁for ▁that ▁purpose . ▁Before ▁D eng ▁assumed ▁power , ▁the ▁re inter pret ation ▁of