[2] At the age of 19, she participated in the May Fourth Movement,[3] and, on the establishment of the People's Republic, held positions in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) administration.

[4] But Deng did not perceive herself as a feminist or a revolutionary, relying instead on Christianity as a source of her identity;[5] her social activism was triggered by her religious beliefs.

[2] While in school she developed liberal views on a woman's role in Chinese society as a result of her association with the May Fourth Movement and her Christian faith.

Deng agreed on the condition that after marriage, she would be allowed to continue her studies, find work, follow her Christian faith, and would not be forced to observe traditional Chinese religious dogmas.

[9] Deng started working at this time with the woman brocade workers in support of their causes,[2] albeit her husband pursued her to return to the marriage.

[2] With professional and financial help from Russell, she participated in international conferences and in the middle of 1920s, she continued her studies at the London School of Economics with a scholarship for one year.

[2] Following CCP, Deng joined the Tiananmen Square celebration on 1 October 1949 at the invitation extended to her by Mao Zedong and other members of the party.

In 1950, she assumed the role of general secretary of YMCA and was the official representative of the CCP at the All-China Women's Federation and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

[9] She was then appointed as the vice-chair of a committee set up to decide on the status of the Chinese Christian Church as an independent identity, without control from external organizations.