What was one similarity in the economic thinking of communist leaders such as Deng Xiaoping in China and Mikhail Gorbachev in the Soviet Union during the 1980s?

One similarity in the economic thinking of Deng Xiaoping and Mikhail Gorbachev during the 1980s was their recognition of the need for reform to revitalize their stagnant economies. Both leaders aimed to introduce market-oriented policies to improve efficiency and productivity, albeit in different ways; Deng focused on opening China to foreign investment and implementing Special Economic Zones, while Gorbachev sought to infuse elements of market economics through his policies of perestroika. Despite their communist ideologies, both leaders acknowledged that economic liberalization was essential for their nations' growth and modernization.