E
、E
PS
(complete rosion!)
M
چوو
CONFIDENTIAL
From: Kim Sullivan
Cory
con has
Far Eastern Dept
Date: 16 January 1987
CC:
PS/Mrs Chalker
PS/Mr Renton
Mr Gillmo
DR Wilso
News D
HKD
HKK
020/1
LIN REGISTRY
21 JAN 1987
((
σ
See/12
ER
PA
AL
Takkeri
21
CHINA: RESIGNATION OF PARTY GENERAL SECRETARY, HU YAO BANG
1. A Communist Party Politburo communique of 16 January announced
that General Secretary Hu Yao Bang had resigned, after admitting
having made political mistakes. The communique announced that
Premier Zhao Ziyang would take over as acting General Secretary.
The Current Intelligence Group are producing an Immediate
Assessment, which will issue later today, but not in time to catch
the Ministerial boxes. This note summarises the main points.
2.
This resignation follows the student demonstrations in Hefei
city, Shanghai and Peking in December. The Chinese authorities' initially tolerant response was followed by a firmer line as the size of the demonstrations grew. Following the student unrest,
there were rumours that Hu Yao Bang had been dismissed as Party
Secretary for having allowed the demonstrations to spread. Although
Hu Yao Bang was originally one of Deng Xiao Ping's proteges, he has
made a number of mistakes over the past year, and there were signs
that Deng wished to replace him. We expected this would happen at
the next party Congress in September, but recent events have obviously accelerated the process.
CONFIDENTIAL