What really happened when China went to the rodeo 

I'd 100% watch a couple videos about the reforms that Phil talked about at the end of this vid. Always open to learning more about history, even if it is politically based.

I, for one, would love to watch your take on Deng’s policies & reforms - easy to get lost in the political squabble when talking about this guy, hard to pin down my opinion of the guy

Yes, more videos like this! It's so fascinating to see these inflection points in history that can seem so benign.

To me your strength lies with your eclecticness; when I click on a Phil Edwards video all I really know for sure is that it's either going to be good or it's going to be great. That said, if you make a mini series about each of Deng's major reforms I'll definitely watch it.

Ahh if only more of life's problems could be solved by going to the rodeo... Thanks for the great vid as always!

Deng probably wasn’t the most influential figure for the 20th century, he came into power too late for the arbitrary limits of 1900-2000. However what can’t be argued is that he more than any other has had a bigger impact on shaping the 21st century. Quite sad how few people are aware of Chinese history in general with other figures such as Zhou Enlai and Zhao Ziyang also overlooked. Another really interesting video could be when China’s president Jiang Zemin debated with Bill Clinton on live Chinese TV about political topics like human rights. The same thing happening with XI and Biden would just be unimaginable.

Great video, Deng Xiaoping is indeed one of the most important figures of the last century. Changing the life of so many, getting the PRC recognized, building up a collapsed country and reform it to prevent one man rule. In the west he's mostly know for his biggest mistake. I highly recommend: Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China, by Ezra Vogel.

Your videos are such a good presentation of events that leave room for thought and not strong political statement that seem to take away from the viewer the power to think. Thankyou!

Would 100% watch and share good videos about china's economic policy history

A video about the reforms Deng brought would be awesome. He has changed a lot of lives around the world, not just in China.

Phil, wonderful content as always. It would be interesting to see the chronological steps of this event to modern day China, and maybe a follow up with China’s future plans of modernization (market domination).

As a history buff this is one of those moments that you simply have trouble accepting as something that actually happened. Its just far too ridiculous but it exemplifies the saying that "Truth is stranger than fiction"

I wish you would cover the racist narrative with which western media covers anything China related. Al Jazeera did a pretty good mini doc on how biased our media narrative is and how everything related to China is always covered through a lens of politics even when it’s not politically related.

This was great. I'd seen some photos of Deng in a cowboy hat and never knew much about the trip's context. I'd watch a series on the changes Deng pushed through in China (curious how straight history will work with your/Vox style). I'd actually be more interested in a short piece on the change in US spelling of Chinese names and words that came with the normalization of relations. Added pinyin to the already existing hodgepodge of Taiwanese and various non-standardized Cantonese and Mandarin spellings

Denis in France, I'm amazed at the news report archive you've found. I'm also very interested about the Cold War and the end of that Era, so your idea about exploring the way China changed and thru what reforms is absolutely my cup of Yunnan tea!

things are quite different now and then. At that time Taiwan was control by a millitary dictatorship who clearly claimed the whole China and even Mongolia as their lawful territories,and therefore they never ended the openly civil war condition with PRC. Also,more than 60% of taiwanese population considering themselves as Chinese at that time.

Thank you for the great video! Deng is the greatest leader China had in its modern history. He was probably genuinely enjoying himself at the rodeo, the same way a tourist with a curious mind today would. I read in Henry Kissinger’s autobiography or “On China” (can’t remember which) that at NASA, Deng was given the opportunity to try a simulator. He enjoyed it so much that he asked the hosts whether he could do it a second time (and did) 😂

Love the clip of the reporter, I feel like reporter would be put on suspension if he/she expressed such contempt for an event today.

I dig the Tom Scott look man! 👍. Great video as usual!

I was one of the peple who didn't know about Deng but learnt a lot in this video, thanks Phil. It's also insighful to see a glimpse at these moments in history with the context of the world today.

I’d love to see your take on the reforms too! Especially since while it is very capitalist, it’s arguably not liberal - given how the government owns shares in almost every company, pays money directly to a lot of citizens from the taxes and share dividends of those interests, and still engages quite heavily in central planning for nationwide infrastructure and priorities. It’s interesting to me how he tried to balance the various interests, to leverage the scale of the state to bring the cost of Chinese manufacture so dang low, but also to attract private capital and deliberately create a millionaire and now billionaire class within a country which only really had old-time nobility before the various late-19th early-20th century struggles for power in the country. Many people point toward Sweden as an example of social-democracy as a governmental style, but it feels like Deng sought to create his own version of social-democracy, just coming at it from the communist side rather than the laissez-faire capitalist side, so it features central planning more heavily as part of its compromise.

It's a good day when Phil posts. Once again the master of excavating the obscure... Probably secret sauce but would be curious about how you pick and research topics. Great seeing your personal channel grow.

Would definitely welcome more content on this topic. A couple of quick observations and annecdotes. Chinese leadership got lucky but were also very smart. Over thirty years ago I printed a UK government trade council publication. It was around the time western companies were beginning to offshore, and also we were being told Asia was about to become a huge consumer market. What was very obvious was that the Chinese government was focused on building it's manufacturing capacity and infrastructure. Every issue was full of stories about Chinese buying machine tools, or building major infrastructure: They were strategically building the China of today, with western governments actively competing to help them. What was very obvious is that they were not buying consumer goods from the west but they were taking on manufacturing them. Twenty years later I had a government job working in policy. Again I came across Chinese trade and industrial policy. This time it was government deals promoting tech transfer, the Chinese were doing deals to buy up key technology in clean tech amongst other areas. As before they were operating strategically to build up their industrial capabilities. None of this is new, the Soviets famously took a similar route before the cold-war, and other countries have done the same. But what marks China out is the intelligence they have deployed building their economy, from the annecdotes above to strategically investing in raw materials, and investments in developing countries. Meanwhile in the Anglosphere we have followed a different political and economic approach, the free market approaches of Reagan and Thatcher. Time will tell which was the most effective.

Very much here for China politics history content!

I like how you did it, but another good title that would have played on both terms could be: "When China went to the rodeo: Deng's Big Trip".

I am an American who lived in China. Deng established a city called Shenzhen. It is an amazing city and there is a giant billboard/poster with Deng's face praising his accomplishments of opening China.

MORE! I'm definitely all for more China-inspired videos! This one is truly a gem.

This is why I laughed when Fox News and Biden go “COMMUNIST CHINA” when we haven’t been communist since 1978 when private property was allowed.

Wait a minute, you’re supposed to be wearing a pink Elvis jumpsuit for this presentation. I’m bummed. 🕺 ☹️

yo the videos on deng reforms would rock, definity would watch them

Tom Scott seems older than normally.

I want to hear about Deng's reforms.

It's always nice when you upload :) thanks.

You have a real talent to pick (and portray so intriguingly) the historic markers that are only glimpses at the time, but their impact shines for decades

Yup this is just amazing content man. Subscribed!

I remember that. I suspect the lack of a crowd may be due to it becoming a more private event for security purposes.

I hope you cover his cronies possible comeback if pooh bear messes up.. Also, loving the videos, and despite my old thoughts, the background in your basement works... Gives a "I'm working late burning midnight oil learning this stuff to explain to everyone" vibe!

Phil, you always just KILL IT!!! Ugh, if the visit and rodeo could have continued on such a positive note!!!! They will become a Super Power and enforce their desires. 😢

big fan of this vid very interesting and a good job at keeping bias out of the topic

You didn't mention Deng's famous line. To get rich is glorious. I'm pretty sure he said that after visiting America. Let me know if you'd like help pronouncing Chinese names in the future. I have years of experience learning Chinese as a second language and think I could easily help you sound more professional.

I am into this series

How can people not know of Deng Xiaoping? If you’ve heard of Tiananmen Square you should know his name.

I absolutely adore Texas reporters repeatedly and uncritically pronouncing the Chinese leader's name "dung"

I love your videos. One of my top 3 favorite channels. How do you come up with the topics?

Awesome video, love the editing style

Yes! Please! Videos about the reforms!

I can rarely stand the Vox medium headshot-to-clip cut style, but this is really well done

Deng Xiaoping was the greatest statesman China has had in 300 years. God rest his soul.

I’m shocked you didn’t say “Enhance” at 0:07

In my book as long as I get to eat delicious fried things and see a redneck or two get mauled by an airborne 2 ton beef-colossus it's a good rodeo.

Ah, struggling college communists, seemingly the one constant in our modern world.

he was a legend. Mao zedong built a new China, Deng xiaoping brought China to the world

Really love how you kept using “went to the rodeo” as a larger metaphor in the video. Really tied it all together. Good work!

Of course, the college communist from Austin. 🤣🤣

Very interesting and I loved the southern college communist.

"Black cat, white cat; what do I care, as long as it catches mice?" ---Deng

Very interesting video! Especially jaw-dropping to me was that the NYT changed the spelling of Deng's name because in Germany, we have two ways of spelling the name Mao Zedong (the other way is Mao Tse-Tung). And now I wonder if we did the same thing as the NYT did, though I think you can choose between these two names. Anyway, gotta look up that NYT article if I find it :D

Paint me to see how few views this video has. Topics like this explain how we have arrived where we are today in geopolitics

Some serious country singer was hurt when you thought it wasn't serious enough 🤣

My parents came from rural town and met in one of the few early Hong Kong money invested factory in Shenzhen. This place is where Deng assigned as one of the special econ zone. So when the western media today talking China in this spooky , smoky way. We the millennials can’t really relate. I always wonder what are they talking about. What we have today is great thanks to Deng . We even have the name “Deng yeye” for his legacy in Shenzhen, Yeye means Grandpa, like he’s the founding father of the modern China.

Hey just wanted to let you know, I love your videos and always look forward to new ones. But for whatever reason RU-vids algorithm never served up this video in two days of active Youtubing, despite being subscribed and having watched all of your videos all the way through. Only reason I know this video was released was because of the story you posted. Not sure if this is useful, but thought I’d throw it out there.

Love this video I didn’t even know about this and I’m a Texan

Just had to pause the video. That song isn’t “Rodeo,” it’s “Beef, it’s what’s for dinner,” from those old commercials LOL

Algorithmic punch (I visited China in 2004, and some of the malls where playing American country music, a popular trend at the time, and I wonder if it was at all related to this rodeo. also yes the reforms would be a subject of interest.)

Lookin' like Tom Scott's long lost American Daddy.... Nice video.

As a Chinese, I would appreciate Deng for his economic reform and open up to the west, but criticize him for being soft and conservative, even resistant, at political reform, which generally somehow lead to Xi's dictatorship today

So informative! Thank you man.

Hop in boys, we’re going to texas

I’m still not over the idea of it being a bad rodeo 😂 and some of the people being nonchalant. Dude said watching a movie on tv 😭

Everyone knows Deng Xiaoping.

Good video. More of these please. Would love to see your reform videos too.

I think a big lesson here is that He revolutionized China’s economy - essentially ending poverty - by opening up trade with the west. And right now, in our country we are seeing people on the right calling to grow our economy and at the same time to limit trade with foreign countries because some how they think that will help us. They don’t want to accept that we live in a global economy, and Deng knew this 50 years ago.

Thank you for showing the cringey Communist Austinite.

Interesting event in history

At the time Ling-Chieh Kung, Madame Chiang's nephew was CEO of Westland Oil in Houston. I think that's why Deng wanted to come to the Houston area. Westland Oil went bankrupt in the eighties because Kung spent a giant amount of money making a nuclear bunker the size of a small town north of Houston. It even had a prison and a courtroom. Kung really really planned for his Mad Max future.

You’ve probably read it already, but I highly recommend Ezra Vogel’s “Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China”

Thanks to Deng, the universities in China were reopened after the Cultural Revolution, which allowed my parents and several aunts and uncles to get higher education. Also thanks to Deng, all those college educated family members left China following the crackdown in 1989 and eventually all of them came to the US.

Yes to more Deng Xiaoping videos!

Truly his first rodeo

I'd like to hear more on the topic of china's post mao period... Have you seen china uncensored? It's an awesome RU-vid channel and covers lots of china related stuff Maybe you could do a like partnership or crossover video with them Phil... Now that's be kinda cool...

Your content is wonderful

All I knew about Deng Xiaoping going into this was that he was the guy in Hong Kong 97

For those who r interested of learning the life journey of Deng, his biography by Ezra Vogel is a must read!

That reporter is so Texan.

Cold war era US international politics always make for interesting videos. Always learn new things on this channel!

okay but what is a rodeo ?

You know, this tour is very similar to the howdy modi tour that happened recently

What a great video idea

More

super interesting

You have good taste in topics! I enjoy the eclectic nature of the mix

Superb video Phil! Thank you!

this was the exact moment where we witnessed "the fall of america and its values" and the moment of hypocricy

I love your stuff! Please Do more rising china history!

As a Chinese American, it was interesting to learn more about Deng Xiaopeng!

I only knew of Deng Xiaoping because the angry video game nerds review of Hong Kong 97. Interesting lil piece of history you've pulled up here.

Thanks for the video and commentary!

4:40 the US position on China and Taiwan is absolutely ingenious: The US recognizes that there's one China and Taiwan is a part of China, but it does *not* recognize Beijing as its capital. Think about it, the sentence at 4:40 can also be applied to Taipei being the head of all China.

Another seemingly boring topic that became captivating once you got your hands on it. Great job. Phil, could you put all your videos on a playlist? That way we can watch them at random.

Still prefer the old spelling system