▁Be ij ing . ▁They ▁ere cted ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁wall ▁post ers ▁( the ▁so - called ▁" D em ocracy ▁Wall ") ▁critic izing ▁the ▁Cultural ▁Revolution , ▁Ma o ▁Z ed ong , ▁the ▁Gang ▁of ▁Four , ▁and ▁H ua ▁Gu of eng . ▁All ▁these ▁were ▁toler ated ▁because ▁of ▁being ▁more - or - less ▁in ▁line ▁with ▁official ▁positions , ▁but ▁some ▁began ▁calling ▁for ▁dem ocracy ▁and ▁open ▁elections . ▁This ▁was ▁more ▁than ▁the ▁authorities ▁were ▁willing ▁to ▁toler ate ▁and ▁they ▁quickly ▁str essed ▁that ▁the ▁party ▁would ▁continue ▁to ▁hold ▁power ▁and ▁guide ▁the ▁nation ▁towards ▁social ism . ▁While ▁greater ▁freedom ▁of ▁thought ▁would ▁be ▁allowed , ▁loyal ty ▁to ▁the ▁party ▁and ▁social ist ▁thought ▁would ▁still ▁be ▁required . ▁Non eth eless , ▁writers ▁began ▁critic izing ▁cor ruption , ▁privileges ▁enjoyed ▁by ▁party ▁officials , ▁and ▁un emp loyment , ▁all ▁things ▁that ▁supposed ly ▁could ▁not ▁exist ▁under ▁social ism . ▁It ▁was ▁now ▁officially ▁admitted ▁that ▁ 2 0 ▁million ▁Chinese ▁were ▁un emp loy ed ▁and ▁ 1 0 0 ▁million ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁enough ▁food ▁to ▁eat . ▁ ▁Bol uan ▁F anz h eng ▁and ▁economic ▁reform ▁ ▁A ▁new ▁page ▁in ▁diplom acy ▁ ▁Rel ations ▁with ▁the ▁West ▁improved ▁marked ly ▁during ▁D eng ' s ▁term , ▁although ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Republic ▁of ▁China ▁had ▁gained ▁a ▁certain ▁degree ▁of ▁recognition ▁from ▁the ▁West ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁Ma