改革开放

• Pinyin: gǎi gé kāi fàng
• Hanzi breakdown: 改 = 己 + 攴 (change); 革 = 廿 + 中 + 十 (leather → radical transformation); 开 = 廾 + 一 (open); 放 = 方 + 攴 (release, let go)

Meaning

Reform and Opening Up; the landmark economic and social reform policies launched by China in 1978 under Deng Xiaoping that transformed the country's economy.

One of the most significant and frequently cited phrases in modern Chinese political discourse. Refers to the sweeping economic reforms — including decollectivisation, the introduction of market mechanisms, and special economic zones — alongside the policy of opening China to foreign investment and international trade. The reform era began at the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party in December 1978. The phrase is omnipresent in education, media, policy documents, and public life.

Examples

1. 改革开放以来，中国经济保持了长达数十年的高速增长，综合国力显著提升。 Since Reform and Opening Up, China’s economy has maintained rapid growth for decades, and its overall national strength has increased markedly.
2. 深圳作为改革开放的前沿阵地，从一个小渔村迅速发展成为举足轻重的国际化大都市。 As a frontline of Reform and Opening Up, Shenzhen rapidly developed from a small fishing village into a major international metropolis.
3. 学术界对改革开放的历史功绩与局限性进行了大量深入研究，相关成果不断涌现。 Scholars have conducted extensive in-depth research on the historical achievements and limitations of Reform and Opening Up, and related findings continue to emerge.

Usage Guide

Context: politics, history, economics, education

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 改革开放四十余年来，中国数亿人口摆脱了贫困，创造了举世瞩目的经济发展奇迹。(Over more than forty years of Reform and Opening Up, hundreds of millions of people in China have escaped poverty, creating an economic development miracle that has attracted worldwide attention.)
• 这门课程将从政治、经济和社会三个维度系统梳理改革开放的历史进程与深远影响。(This course will systematically review the historical process and far-reaching influence of the Reform and Opening Up from three dimensions: political, economic, and social.)

Don't Say

• 进行了一次个人的改革开放 — 改革开放 is a specific historical policy term; use 转变 or 开放心态 for personal change or an open-minded attitude

Origin & History

改革 (reform) + 开放 (opening up) — political slogan formulated in the post-Mao era, first systematically implemented from 1978

Cultural Context

Era: Post-Mao

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal