Opinion: I Helped CNN Break the News When Deng Xiaoping Died

Editor’s note: Feb. 19 marks the 25th anniversary of the death of Deng Xiaoping, who led China’s sweeping economic overhaul. The author was then the head of the China Desk at CNN.

It was Feb. 19, 1997.

That morning, before the clock had even turned 6:00, I was awakened by the sound of my phone ringing. The first thought that popped into my mind was that it had to be an emergency. After many years of working as a journalist for CNN, I had made a habit of always being ready; breaking news does not wait.