In early 1987, after the 1986 student movement had subsided, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched the "Oppose Bourgeois Liberalization" political campaign.

The slogan "Oppose Bourgeois Liberalization" was first put forward by Deng Xiaoping in 1980. On January 6, 1987, the CCP Central Committee issued its annual "Document No. 1". Most years, "Document No. 1" concerned agriculture; this year, however, it conveyed the conversation between Deng Xiaoping and senior officials regarding the 1986 student movement. The "Document" emphasized the need to "unequivocally adhere to the Four Cardinal Principles" and that "opposition to liberalization must be done for at least 20 years; democracy can only be gradually opened up." After this point, CCP organizations at all levels joined to the movement.
During the movement, Liu Binyan, Fang Lizhi, Wang Ruowang, and others were expelled from the CCP, and Ba Jin and others were publicly criticized. Even playwright Gao Xingjian, who was relatively inexperienced at the time but whose work was avant-garde, was subjected to criticism.

However, Zhao Ziyang and Deng Liqun clashed over how the "Oppose Bourgeois Liberalization" movement should be rolled out. When Deng Liqun drafted the "Notice on Several Issues Related to the Present Opposition to Bourgeois Liberalization" (or "Document No. 4"), he tried to expand the movement to all fields such as politics, economy, culture, education, science, and technology. Zhao Ziyang, on the other hand, emphasized that the struggle should be restricted to within the CCP, and the focus should be on solving political problems. Deng Xiaoping took Zhao Ziyang's advice; the final version of "Document No. 4", issued to January 28's expanded Politburo session, restricted the struggle from expanding across the board.

On May 13, Zhao Ziyang held a meeting (agreed to by Deng Xiaoping). At the meeting, Zhao stated that "Recently, there have been some erroneous views that are, in fact, skeptical and reserved about reform and opening up… Let me put it this way: If the current policy is described as liberalization, people will panic. Production would cease, business would stop, people would cut down whatever trees they want, slaughter whatever pigs they want. Who would be responsible for this? The argument that we should smash the 'restrictions' of Document No. 4 — this is an irresponsible argument. Politically, it's wrong; organizationally, it goes against discipline."

Zhao's May 13 Speech brought to a screeching halt the movement to oppose bourgeois liberalization; Reform and Opening Up once again became mainstream. However, Zhao Ziyang's move angered the conservatives, and it created problems that would come back to bite him during the 1989 democracy movement.

Reference: Yang Jisheng, "Political Struggles During the Age of Reform in China"