China in 1983 was ruled in the mainland by the Chinese Communist Party. It had a turbulent history, and when its founder Mao Zedong died, there was a power struggle in which Deng Xiaoping, a moderate, won over the "Gang of Four" led by Mao's widow Mao Jiang Qing. Deng initiated reforms in the economy while keeping it communist, and he continued his country's belligerent stance toward the Soviet Union.