Zhao Ziyang replaced Hua Guofeng as Premier in September 1980.
He was then a comparative newcomer to national politics having
spent the bulk of his career as a provincial administrator. At that level however he had served in the highest position in two of China's most important provinces.
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Little is known of his early career. From 1949 until his dismissal in the Cultural Revolution he worked in Guangdong
province, and is said to have specialised in agricultural policy,
though he clearly went beyond this and by 1965 he had become First
Secretary. He reappeared in 1971 and by 1974 he was again First
Secretary of Guangdong. He was transferred to Sichuan in 1976,
and, after a sticky period in the first part of the year when he
was criticised in wall posters for his association with Deng
Xiaoping, his career really took off following the overthrow of
the "Gang of Four". In 1977 he was elected an alternate member of
the Politburo; he was promoted to full membership in December 1978, and in February 1980, on his transfer to Peking, was promoted again to membership of the Politburo's Standing Committee. Shortly after that he was made "Standing Vice Premier" (ie in charge of the day to day work of the government) which led directly to his appointment as Premier.
In 1981 he gained a further Party promotion to Vice-Chairman of the Central Committee, ranking fourth in the
leadership.
Zhao owes his position to Deng Xiaoping whom he impressed with his successful management of Sichuan province. He arrived in 1976 to find its economy in a mess, having to import grain although traditionally one of China's most prolific agricultural
areas. He swiftly reversed the situation. Many of the industrial
and agricultural reforms he pioneered there have since become
national models.
But although he can obviously be counted amongst
the reformers in the leadership, he has guided the implementation of
reforms with prudence, being aware of the problems to which they
give rise as well as the benefits.
CONFIDENTIAL