Everything Everywhere Daily · Friday, August 14, 2026
During Mao's Cultural Revolution, Deng Xiaoping was targeted as a leading reformer and consequently stripped of all political duties and exiled to a menial job at a tractor factory. The Red Guard also harassed his family, resulting in his son being permanently paralyzed after being pushed from a window.
“Among the first targets of the campaign were the two reformers called upon to solve China's economic problems: Deng Xiaoping and Liu Shaoqi.”
“As a consequence, he was stripped of all political and party duties, subjected to an intense campaign of humiliation, and exiled to a menial post at a tractor repair factory.”
“Radical members of the Red Guard harassed his family as well, resulting in his son, a college student, being pushed from a third-story window where he was permanently paralyzed from the waist down as a result of his injuries.”