NEWS AGENCY, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THEMES OF THE COLLECTION
IS THE NEED TO ADHERE TO THE FOUR CARDINAL PRINCIPLES AND TO
OPPOSE BOURGEOIS LIBERALISATION, ON WHICH SUBJECT DENG HAD SPOKEN SEVERAL TIMES, INCLUDING 30 DECEMBER, 1986. THE OTHER MAIN THEME IS THE NEED TO CONTINUE WITH THE POLICIES OF OPENING UP AND OF
REFORM. THE COLLECTION ALSO INCLUDED A NUMBER OF SPEECHES FROM
1986 ONWARDS ON REFORM OF THE POLITICAL SYSTEM.
5. AN ARTICLE IN THE WEN ZHAI BAO OF 19 MARCH STATED THAT THERE WERE THREE MAIN OBJECTIVES OF POLITICAL REFORM:
(A) TO GUARANTEE THE VITALITY OF THE PARTY AND OF THE STATE. THIS
WAS CLOSELY RELATED TO THE POLICY OF REJUVENATION IN THE LEADER- SHIP. THIS OBJECTIVE COULD NOT BE ACHIEVED IN THREE OR FIVE YEARS, AND WOULD NOT FINALLY BE REACHED UNTIL THE 15TH CONGRESS (DUE IN
1997).
(B) TO CURB BUREAUCRATISM AND TO RAISE WORK EFFICIENCY (SEMI-COLON)
THE MAIN OBSTACLE HERE WAS A LACK OF DISTINCTION BETWEEN PARTY
AND STATE FUNCTIONS.
(C) TO RAISE THE ENTHUSIASM OF THE PEOPLE (SEMI-COLON) AGRICULTURAL
REFORM HAD ACCOMPLISHED THIS FOR THE PEASANTS (SEMI-COLON) BUT T
WAS ALSO NEEDED FOR WORKERS AND INTELLECTUALS AND COULD BE
ACHIEVED THROUGH GREATER PARTICIPATION IN MANAGEMENT, THAT IS TO
SAY MORE DEMOCRATIC MANAGEMENT.'
ACCORDING TO THE HONG KONG TA KUNG PAO, THESE REMARKS OR UGHNATED
FROM A RANKING PARTY CADRE''
COMMENT
•
6. THESE ARE JUST THE KIND OF REMARKS THOSE WHO FAVOUR REFORM
HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR DENG XIAOPING TO MAKE. REFORM OF THE
POLITICAL SYSTEM HAS BEEN THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL COMPONENT IN
THE REFORM PROGRAMME. DENG HAS NOW UNAMBIGUOUSLY PUT IT BACK ON
THE AGENDA, IF HN A SLIGHTLY MODIFIED VERSION. HE HAS GONE FURTHER THAN MANY EXPECTED AND PROBABLY AS FAR AS HE COULD IN PRESENT
CIRCUMSTANCES. HE HAD TO HEDGE WOMEWHAT BY CALLING THE PLAN A
''TENTATIVE''PLAN, BUT LAST YEAR'S CONNECTION BETWEEN ECONOMIC
AND POLITICAL REFORM HAS BEEN RE-ESTABLISHED. THE NEW VOLUME OF
DENG'S WORKS OBVIOUSLY CONTAINS SOMETHING FOR ALL MEN, BUT FROM THE PUBLICITY ABOUT IT, IT WOULD SEEM TO CONTAIN MORE COMFORT FOR THE REFORMERS THAN THE CONSERVATIVES, AND THE WEN ZHAI
BAO ARTICLE SHOWS THAT POLITICAL REFORM IS AGAIN UNDER DISCUSSION.
7. DENG'S STATEMENT COMES AFTER ZHAO HAD BEGUN TO ASSERT HIS
PERSONAL AUTHROTY AFTER THE POLITICAL SITUATION HERE
(MY TELNO 464). THIS MAY WELL HAVE BEEN DELIBERATE. ZHAO NEEDS TO
2
CONFIDENTIAL
IBE