ABSTRACT
Among China's most important political leaders, after Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, Chen Yun had the greatest influence on economic policy making in China since 1949. In March 1979, shortly after the historic 3rd Plenum of December 1978, Chen Yun became head of the Finance and Economy Commission to lead economic reforms under Deng Xiaoping. Chen Yun is less well known internationally than Mao Zedong or Deng Xiaoping, but, as one of the eight "immortals" of China's communist revolution, he is well-known inside the country. Chen Yun was not the only senior politician who was critical of Mao's decision to eliminate all private enterprise and introduce a fully state-controlled, socialist, planned economy as quickly as possible. After Mao's death and the arrest of the "Gang of Four" four weeks later, Chen vigorously resumed his public advocacy of a "mixed" economy, but his ideas on this met with resistance from more conservative Party leaders.
