Deng Xiaoping Two Hands Principle Explained | Generated by AI
Question: Translate the previous content/response to English.
Answer:
Deng Xiaoping’s phrase “两手抓，两手都要硬” (Grasp with both hands, and both must be firm/hard) is an important guiding principle during China’s reform and opening-up period. Its core meaning is that while centering on economic construction, equal emphasis and firm implementation must be given to another crucial aspect at the same time—neither side can be neglected or allowed to become weak.
The most classic, authoritative, and most frequently cited official interpretation in Party literature and textbooks is:
Grasp material civilization construction with one hand and spiritual civilization construction with the other—both hands must be firm.
This formulation was repeatedly emphasized by Deng Xiaoping after the mid-1980s, especially in key speeches and conversations in 1985, 1986, 1989, and notably in the 1992 Southern Tour Talks. The fundamental purpose was to prevent a situation of “one hand being firm and the other being soft” during rapid economic growth—particularly to avoid serious lag in spiritual civilization construction (ideology, morality, culture, education, social conduct, etc.).
Several other common pairings (also used by Deng Xiaoping in different contexts and periods under the “two hands” framework) include:
- Grasp construction with one hand and democracy and the legal system with the other (or “grasp economic construction with one hand and building democracy and rule of law with the other”)
- Grasp reform and opening-up with one hand and cracking down on economic crime / various criminal activities with the other
- Grasp reform and opening-up with one hand and fighting corruption with the other (especially strongly emphasized after 1989)
Although the specific content varies, all these formulations reflect Deng Xiaoping’s consistent “two-point theory”: economic work is the central task, but other major issues (political stability, Party conduct and clean government, social order, ideology and culture) must also be firmly grasped at the same time—one cannot focus on only one aspect or allow “one hand hard, one hand soft.”
In current mainstream textbooks, Party school materials, and civil service examination reference books, the most standard and most commonly accepted correct answer is:
Grasp material (economic) civilization construction with one hand and spiritual civilization construction with the other—both hands must be firm.
The other versions, while also correct, are generally regarded as specific applications or extensions in particular fields or periods, rather than the most core and original meaning of the phrase “两手抓，两手都要硬.”
References:
- Selected Works of Deng Xiaoping, Volume III (especially speeches and talks after 1985)
- Official textbooks on CPC history and the history of reform and opening-up (various editions use this as the standard formulation)