Oral History of Forty Years Reform and Opening-up

This book compiles first-person accounts from 49 veteran Chinese leaders who shaped reform and opening-up, revealing behind-the-scenes details of pivotal events like the "Practice Is Truth" debate, Hong Kong's handover, and economic reforms. This book presents the oral histories of 49 veteran leaders and senior officials, including Hu Fuming, Yuan Baohua, Wang Mengkui, Chen Jinhua, Liu Hongru, Wu Shaozu, and Long Xinmin, offering a vivid account of China’s 40-year reform and opening-up journey. Through first-person narratives, it reveals behind-the-scenes details about major policy decisions and historical events, such as the writing and revision process of “Practice Is the Sole Criterion for Testing Truth,” the 1990 Beijing Asian Games, the approval of the Three Gorges Project, the return of Hong Kong and Macao, and China’s response to financial crises. The contributors, many of whom held long-term leadership positions in the Party and state or served in key government departments, were direct participants and witnesses to the reform and openingup era. Their accounts serve as invaluable “living archives” of this transformative period. Combining factual recollections with personal reflections, the book authentically and vividly reconstructs history, providing first-hand research materials for scholars while also serving as an essential reader on Party history for cadres, Party members, and the general public in the new era.