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INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, WASHINGTON, MOSCOW, TOKY
INFO SAVING SHANGHAI
MY TELNO. 55:
SUMMARY.
CHINESE LEADERSHIP.
RECEIVE
16 JAN 1987
1. CONTINUED EQUIVOCATION BY CHINESE OFFICIAL SOURCES HAS FURTHER FUELLED SPECULATION ABOUT HU YAOBANG'S DISMISSAL. ASSESSMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT.
DETAIL.
2. A SPOKESMAN OF THE INTERNATIONAL LIAISON DEPARTMENT FINALLY REPLIED TO JOURNALISTS ABOUT THE POSITION OF HU YAOBANG WITH THE COMMENT THAT HE COULD NEITHER CONFIRM NOR DENY THAT HU WAS STILL THE GENERAL-SECRETARY OF THE PARTY. THIS CONTINUED FAILURE TO ANSWER A SIMPLE QUESTION HAS FUELLED SPECULATION ABOUT HU YAOBANG'S FATE. ADDING TO IT HAVE BEEN (A) REPORTS FROM A NUMBER OF FOREIGN PRESS SOURCES THAT DENG AT RECENT INTERNAL PARTY MEETINGS HAS HIMSELF CRITICISED HU'S HANDLING OF THE STUDENT PROBLEM, AND (B) INDICATIONS FROM THE JAPANESE THAT DENG'S MOOD AT HIS MEETING ON 13 JANUARY WITH JAPANESE LDP SECRETARY GENERAL TAKESEITA WAS NOTICEABLY UNRELAXED.
3. HU YAOBANG WAS LAOT S EN IN PUBLIC ON 29 DECEMBER. SINCE THEN THERE HAS ONLY BEEN THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT HE WAS TOO TIRED TO RECEIVED FOREIGN VISITORZ. ON 13 JANUARY, HE WAS LISTED IN HIS NORMAL PROTOCOL ORDER WHEN THE LEADERSHIP SENT WREATHS TO THE FUNERAL OF A SENIOR MILITARY LEADER. IF THE INTERNATIONAL LIAISON DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN'S ANSWER WAS SIMILARLY INTENDED TO DAMPEN DOWN RUMOURS, IT HAS HAD THE OPPOSITE EFFECT.
COMMENT.
4. IT IS STILL VERY HARD TO ACCEPT THAT THE STUDENT DEMONSTRATIONS COULD HAVE LED TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF A COALITION WITHIN THE CHINESE LEADERSHIP STRONG ENOUGH TO TOPPLE HU YAOBANG. THE COMMON PERCE PTION THAT HU LACKS THE DIGNITY PROPER TO A CHINESE LEADER IS WELL KNOWN AND RUMOURS HAVE CIRCFLATED BEFORE THAT DENG XIAOPING HIMSELF HARBOURS SOME DOUBTS ABOUT HU. BUT FOR HIM TO SACRIFICE
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