Chinese President Hu Jintao Sunday praised late leader Deng Xiaoping as an outstanding statesman who had showed great courage and foresight at critical moments of the Party and the nation.

Whenever the Party and people need him the most and at critical moments in the development of the country, Deng always dare to shoulder heavy burdens, no matter it was during the revolution to build New China, the chaotic period of the "Cultural Revolution" or in the country's reform, opening-up and modernization drive, Hu said at a grand gathering to commemorate Deng's birth centenary.

Facing the political upheavals at home and abroad in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Deng, together with other Party veterans, firmly supported the Party and Government to rely on the people to uphold the Four Cardinal Principles, maintain national independence, dignity, security and stability, and unswervingly stick to the central task of economic construction and reform and opening up, thus helping the Party and nation to stand the severe tests and uphold the correct course of socialism with Chinese characteristics, Hu said.

Deng made major contribution in early 1992 when the 88-year-old leader made a series of important remarks during his inspection tour of south China, giving an impetus to China's reform, opening up and modernization drive.

Source: Xinhua