Deng Xiaoping (22 August 1904 – 19 February 1997) was a Chinese politician and diplomat. As leader of the Communist Party of China, Deng ordered the border with Vietnam closed after the collapse of the North and later a 10 km buffer zone in side of Vietnam set-up. This effort to control mass fleeing of refugees into China lead to a humiliating defeat for China and caused the China Crises . While Deng never held office as the head of state or the head of government, he nonetheless served as the Supreme leader and Commander of the Military of the People's Republic of China from 1978 to the early 1990s.