Here is his take on why the reforms worked and what the cat and mouse logic meant in practice.

OK, so I'm going to approach this question from the somewhat microeconomic point of view of how Deng Xiaoping's reforms influence the life of people and businesses, because most of my job consists of supporting, I mean, coaching, training, advising executives and managers of large multinational companies in Asia, including China and also Chinese companies.

with international ambitions.

So this is the first thing that I would like to say before I de facto answer the question.

The other one is that we always have to look at historical events in China with some caution because they have a tendency to become these kind of one-sided legends that lose all the nuances.

So for example, if somebody asked the question, Deng Xiaoping was the most consequential economic reformer of the 20th century in China.

I wouldn't be so sure about that.

What Gabor has identified as the realistic successful expat profile in 2026 and the patterns among those who struggle is one of the most useful pieces of intelligence in this episode for anyone considering or already in a China role.