The Four cardinal principles were stated by Deng Xiaoping in 1979 and are the four issues for which debate was not allowed within the People's Republic of China. These are:
- the principle of upholding the socialist path
- the principle of upholding the people's democratic dictatorship
- the principle of upholding the leadership of the Communist Party of China, and
- the principle of upholding Marxist-Leninist-Mao Zedong thought
Moreover, while the principles themselves are not subject to debate, the interpretation of those principles are. There has for example, been extensive debate over the meaning of socialism.
See also: List of Chinese numbered policies