Mao 's supporters were jailed , and Deng Xiaoping , who followed Mao , changed Mao 's policies so that Chinese people could have more private ownership . Nevertheless , the Chinese government has never officially repudiated the tactics of Mao . Deng Xiaoping , who was opposed to the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution , has to a certain extent rejected Mao 's legacy , famously saying that Mao was `` 70 % right and 30 % wrong '' .