China has recently held a series of solemn, high-profile ceremonies, barely noticed by the outside world, in honor of the 110th anniversary of former leader Deng Xiaoping's birth.

But as with most political festivities in China these days, few have bothered to reflect on what is being celebrated — and what Deng's leadership actually meant. The truth is that, while Deng deserves appreciation for having brought China back from the abyss of Maoism, his approach — "Dengism," or authoritarian developmentalism — is now impeding China's prospects.

Distinguishing Deng the reformer from Dengism the governing philosophy is no idle academic exercise. Deng, who risked his authority and that of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to break with Maoist convention and launch China's economic revolution, died in 1997.