1
5. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SIXTH PLENUM, DRAGAN SAID, A SMALL GROUP HAD BEEN SET UP WITHIN THE POLITBURO' TO PREPARE GUIDELINES** ON THE REFORM OF THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE FOR THE 13TH PARTY CONGRESS. IT HAD ONLY THREE MEMBERS: ZHAO ZIYANG, HU QILT AND TIAN JIYUN. THIS GROUP HAD WORKED HARD THROUGHOUT THE AUTUMN AND EARLY WINTER, RECEIVING EVIDENCE FROM LARGE NUMBERS OF EXPERTS''.
1
WHILE
IT WAS AT WORK, ZHAO HAD BECOME DISSATISFIED ABOUT THE WAY IN WHICH HU, AS GENERAL-SECRETARY, MANAGED THE PARTY MACHINE. AT THE SAME TIME, SEVERAL SENIOR CONSERVATIVES, INCLUDING PENG ZHEM HAD COMPLAINED TO DENG ABOUT HU., AND DENG HIMSELF HAD CRITICISED HU, ASKING FOR CHANGES IN HIS ATTITUDES AND METHODS, AT SEVERAL MEETINGS OF A VERY SMALL GROUP''. DRAGAN THOUGHT THAT THIS GROUP WAS PROBABLY THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE POLITBURO, BUT HE COULD NOT
BE SURE ABOUT THIS.
6. DURING DECEMBER, DRAGAN CONTINUED, A MOST IMPORTANT MEETING OF THE PARTY'S CENTRAL MILITARY COMMISSION HAD BEEN HELD. IT WAS AN ENLARGED MEETING, AT WHICH QUITE A FEW YOUNGER, BUT ALREADY SENIOR, OFFICERS HAD BEEN PRESENT. THESE YOUNGER OFFICERS HAD BEEN SHARPLY CRITICAL OF THE WAY IN WHICH THE STUDENT DEMONSTRATIONS THEN TAKING PLACE HAD BEEN ALLOWED TO GET OUT OF HAND. THEY HAD ALSO DEMANDED THAT THE LIMITS OF PERMISSIBLE DEBATE ABOUT REFORM OF THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED MORE CLEARLY. DENG HAD ATTENDED SEVERAL SESSIONS. ONE THING WHICH HAD STRUCK HIM FORECIBLY, THOUGH NOT FOR THE FIRST TIME, WAS HOW LITTLE CONFIDENCE SENIOR MILITARY MEN HAD IN HU'S ABILITY TO RUN THE PARTY AND CONTROL DEBATE ABOUT
REFORM OF THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE.
7. DRAGAN THOUGHT THAT DENG HAD DECIDED THAT HE MUST SACK HU VERY SOON AFTER THE END OF THIS MEETING ON 25 DECEMBER. THE WHEELS HAD THEN BEEN SET IN MOTION TO PREPARE FOR HIS ENFORCED RESIGNATION. SEVERAL MEETINGS OF THE POLITBURO, AND OF SMALLER GROUPS, HAD BEEN HELD BETWEEN 25 DECEMBER AND 15 JANUARY. AT THESE, IT HAD BEEN DECIDED TO HOLD AN ENLARGED MEETING OF THE POLITPUTO, TO WHICH
SENIOR MEMBERS OF THE PARTY WHO DID NOT BELONG TO THE POLITEURO
ITSELF COULD BE INVITED, AND THAT PREPARED SPEECHES SHOULD BE MADE
AT THIS MEETING. THESE SPEECHES HAD CONTAINED A GREAT DEAL OF
CHAPTER AND VERSE ABOUT HU'S 'ERRORS''.
1
8. DRAGAN AND I SPENT THE REMAINING HOUR TALKING ABOUT THE PRESENT
SITUATION AND WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN BETWEEN NOW AND THE 13TH PARTY
CONGRESS. DRAGAN DID MOST OF THE TALKING. HE TOLD ME (HE SAID
STRICTLY FOR MY PERSONAL INFORMATION) THAT A STUDY GROUP FROM THE
LEAGUE OF YUGOSLAV COMMUNISTS HAD BEEN INVITED TO A WORKING DINNER
BY QIAO SHI (VICE-PREMIER AND A MEMBER OF THE POLITEURO) ON 13
FEBRUARY. THE MEMBERS OF THE DELEGATION HAD COMPLAINED THAT THEY
HAD NOT LEARNED MUCH ABOUT WHAT WAS REALLY HAPPENING IN CHINA DURING
THEIR CALLS ON THE PARTY COMMITTEE IN TIANJIN, THE HIGHER PARTY SCHOOL AND THE SECRETARIAT OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE. ALL THEIR INTERLOCUTORS HAD SPOKEN FROM THE SAME PREPARED BRIEFS, WHICH HAD REVEALED VERY LITTLE.
COULD QIAO TELL THEM MORE ?.
CONFIDENTIAL
19