the decline in poster propaganda started in the early 1980s. under deng xiaoping, who succeeded hua guofeng who succeeded mao at the helm of the prc, the economic rehabilitation of china became the ccp’s main consideration. moreover, china opened itself to the west. now, posters had to be designed to create public support for the new policies that made up the reform package. this had enormous consequences for propaganda. the themes became less heroic and militant, and more impressionistic, while bold colours were replaced with more subdued ones. the people did no longer have to struggle against class enemies, but were urged to adopt more cultured and educated lifestyles. design techniques borrowed from western advertising were employed again frequently.the use of science-fiction images, as a backdrop for the messages of economic development, gave the posters a truly utopian quality. struggle was no longer the theme propagated, and the people were urged to be more careful, civilized, cultured and courteous instead.
in the reform era, posters have lost their credibility and appeal, and increasingly are considered to be old-fashioned. after the tian`anmen incident of 1989, propaganda posters were produced that stressed obedience and other qualities that no longer corresponded w