40 years in the making: Five lives changed by China's reforms China's "reform and opening up" policy brought monumental changes to society in the world's most populous country since its launch 40 years ago under late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping. As China marks next week the anniversary of the momentous shift agreed at a Communist Party gathering on December 18, 1978, AFP interviewed five people whose experiences provide snippets into how the policy transformed lives. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES