News Analysis After the death of Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping liberalized the Chinese economy, fostering China’s transformation from one of the poorest countries in the world to the number two economy. The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) 2022 Work Report suggests that Deng is being erased, as Xi Jinping drives the country back to the authoritarian days of Mao. The latest Work Report, which was submitted to China’s rubber-stamp legislature (the National People’s Congress, NPC) for deliberation on March 5, shows that Xi wants to deemphasize Deng’s economic liberalization. China’s most important annual meeting took place between March 4 and March 11. During the “Two Sessions”—the meetings of the NPC and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference—CCP officials recapped the country’s economic situation from the previous year and laid out guidelines and policies for the coming year, including spending and growth targets. The report stated, “We must act on the …