By 1992, following his southern tour, the "retired" Deng was able to threaten Hong Kong over its proposals for democracy at the same time as he became the Financial Times 'man of the year for creating 12 percent economic growth.
九二年歲暮，就在「退休」後的鄧小平一面南巡講話，一面警告香港的民主改革之際，竟又屏雀中選，為了他經改後百分之十二的經濟成長，成為倫敦《金融時報》的年度風雲人物。