3
8
emphasised that there should be more "democracy" (and by implication, less "centralism") in China's management. He admitted that this caused its own problems, but appeared
confident that these could be handled without resort to
Government fiat. The curbing of freedom of expression and
of the debunking of Mao represents a significant rethinking.
Comment
far
3. The fact of the matter is that China remains rigidly
authoritarian communist society and the lid of repression
will only be Lifted SO
as suits the Government at the
time. What is not clear is the extent to which Deng may
have been personally responsible for the recent curtailing of
democratic expression and to what extent his hand may have
been forced. He may have felt (as suggested in paragraph 6.
of Peking Telno 354)
the human rights movement had
served its purpose for him and that it should be curbed before it threatened social stability and the modernisation programme. But it probably looks to the average Chinese
cadre Eike at least a tactical retreat by Deng from his previous public commitment to increased democratic freedoms.
Conclusion
Deng is a colourful, individualistic statesman who is
Leading China in the general direction we want her to follow.
But he is also headstrong and intolerant; China's stability could be threatened by the speed with which he is forcing
change on a Leadership which has hardly had time
to establish
self and on
a people who have learned from harsh experience
not to commit themselves to anyone's political star. Their
suspicions will have been hardened by the modifications to
policies with which Deng was closely associated. This
uncertainty could damage the prospects for swift economic
progress and might even threaten the cohesiveness of Chinese
society which is still fragile after the upheavals of recent
years.
15
CONFIDENTIAL