Fundamental changes were evident in the international system from 1989. The Tiananmen Incident in 1989 worsened Sino-Western relations, and the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc made China more isolated. Chinese leader Deng Xiao-ping instituted a foreign policy strategy of “observing calmly, securing our position, coping with affairs calmly” and “never claiming leadership, maintaining a low profile, making some contributions.”