 Deng Xiaoping was quoted as saying Zhou was "'sometimes forced to act against his conscience in order to minimize the damage" stemming from Mao's policies.While many earlier Chinese leaders today have been subjected to criticism inside China, Zhou's image has remained positive among contemporary Chinese.Many Chinese continue to venerate Zhou as possibly the most humane leader of the 20th century, and the CCP today promotes Zhou as a dedicated and self-sacrificing leader who remains a symbol of the Communist Party.