CONFIDENTIAL
Even the current rectification campaign, intended to ensure the loyalty of the entire Party membership to Deng's views, has been much watered down. Many of those whose past political activities were anathema to the current leadership may well be allowed to remain members provided they pay lip-service to the reforms.
9.
Life The present leadership has many successes to its credit. for the majority of the Chinese people is considerably better than it was before. Deng's mixture of limited political relaxation combined with material appeals has proved an attractive alternative to the chaos of Mao's later years. However the Chinese leadership are now embarked on a course for which they have little or no experience, and which is far from fully worked out. Deng, though apparently fit and active, is now 80. When he passes there may well be a period of political infighting and retrenchment as his successors settle themselves. But the basic trend is likely to be maintained. Deng's achievement is that no credible alternative
is available.
CONFIDENTIAL