The people's republic has many meanings, and has been used in various contexts at various stages (for example, the 20th century "communist" countries called themselves just that). One usage that had no better alternative though was the regime of The People's Republic of China. It was Deng Xiaoping who in the early 1980's completed the transition of Chinese economy from central-planned to liberal, while the one party system was to stay. China quickly became the fastest-growing economy in the world, quickly dominating markets around the world with their cheap products. Despite concerns over human rights and environmental issues, China was consistently growing in political power thanks to its cost-effective system.