GRS 600
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO ROUTINE FCOLN
TELNO 222
OF 120154Z FEBRUARY 87
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33
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0201
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0 4 MAR 1987
ALCEIVE
CHINA:
INTERNAL SITUATION.
DESK
PA
SUMMARY.
www at 14evrat,900JBL JADE
1. THE IMMEDIATE REPERCUSSIONS OF HU YAOBANG'S DISMISSAL SEEM TO BE
OVER, LEAVING A SURFACE APPEARANCE OF CALM AND BUSINESS AS USUAL. THE REFORMERS' LINE ABOUT CONFIRMING THE IDEOLOGICAL DEBATE TO
WITHIN THE PARTY AND NOT ALLOWING IT TO AFFECT THE SUBSTANCE OF REFORM APPEARS TO BE HOLDING. POLITICAL ATTENTION HAS MOVED AWAY FROM THE HEADLINES OF THE CHINESE PRESS, BACK TO THE MUCH MORE INACCESSIBLE CONFINES OF ZHONGNANHAH.
DETAL
2. THE REMOVAL OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE CENTRAL PROPAGANDA DEPARTMENT, ANNOUNCED EARLIER THIS MONTH, HAS COMPLETED THE LIST OF IMMEDIATE
VICTIMS OF THE RESENT AFFAIR. NO MORE SENIOR HEADS ARE EXPECTED TO
ROLE AT LEAST FOR THE TIME BEING. HU YAOBANG HIMSELF HAS BEEN REPORTED, BY THE FOREIGN PRESS, TO BE SICK AND IN HOSPITAL. WE HAVE NO MEANS OF KNOWING HOW RELIABLE THESE REPORTS ARE OR HOW SERIOUS THE ILLNESS MAY BE. BUT IT IS NOT AN UNLIKELY OUTCOME, GIVEN THE
INTENSE MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL STRAIN HE MUST HAVE BEEN UNDER.
3. THE STRUGGLE AGAINST BOURGEOIS LIBERALISATION, AS THE CHINESE
TERM THE PRESENT EMPHASIS ON IDEOLOGICAL RECTITUDE, HAS NOT BEEN
DEVELOPED AS MUCH AS MIGHT WELL HAVE BEEN EXPECTED. THE REFORMERS'
LINE, WHICH WAS ENUNCIATED BY ZHAO ZIYANG IN HIS SPEECH OF 28 JANUARY (MY TELNO.155) AND WHICH SEEKS TO LIMIT THE STRUGGLE TO
WITHIN THE PARTY AND TO PREVENT IT SPILLING OVER TO ECONOMIC POLICY,
IS DOMINATING THE CHINESE PRESS. THERE HAS BEEN NO DEOLOGICAL
COMMENTARY IN THE PEOPLE'S DAILY SINCE THE EDITORIAL OF 2 FEBRUARY
(MY TELNO.155) WHICH ALSO QUOTED ZHAO'S LINE. EVEN THE DENUNCIATION
OF THE CAMPAIGN'S PRINCIPAL STALKING HORSES VICTIMS (FANG LIZHI, AND OTHERS) HAS FADED SOMEWHAT. INSTEAD, THE PRESS READS VERY MUCH AS NF NOTHING HAD HAPPENED, AND ONE BY ONE THE VARIOUS DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF ECONOMIC REFORM ARE RECEIVING POST-HU YAOBANG RE-ENDORSEMENT IN THE FORM OF ARTICLES OR COMMENTARIES ON THE
SUBJECT. ONE OF THE MOST SPECIFIC OF THESE WAS A COMMENTARY IN
GUANGMING DAILY OF 10 FEBRUARY WHICH CONCEDED THAT THE STRUGGLE
AGAINST BOURGEOIS LIBERALISATION COULD HAVE GIVEN RISE TO SOME DOUBTS ABOUT POLICY AMONG OFFICIALS AND AMONG THE PEOPLE. BUT THESE
Confidential
/SHOULD