1707022 MAN
GRS 1000
RESTRICTED
FM PEKING
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 464
OF 170702Z MARCH 37
RESTRICTED IM6020/1 PA
INFO ROUTINE MOSCOW, TOKYO, WASHINGTON HONG KONG, UKDEL NATO
INFO SAVING SHANGHAI
;
CHINA INTERNAL
SUMMARY
1. IN A SERIES OF SPEECHES OVER THE WEEKEND, ZHAO ZIYANG WENT A LONG
WAY TOWARDS STAMPING HIS AUTHORITY ON THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN
CHINA. HE REITERATED EVEN MOIRE FIRMLY THE RESTRICTIONS HE HAD SET
AT CHINSES NEW YEAR OVER THE LIMITS OF POLITICAL DEBATE, BREATHED
NEW LIFE INTO THE REFORM POROGRAMME AND GAVE ADDED CREDIBILITY TO ASSURANCES THAT THE FUNDAMENTALS OF POLICY WILL NOT BE CHANGED.
DETAIL
2. SPEECHES BY ACTING GENERAL-SECRETARY SHAO ZIYANG TO MEETING OF PARTY PROPAGANDA DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS, TO A GATHERING OF SCIENTISTS, AND TO THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE CHINESE PEOPLE'S POLITICAL CONSULTATIVE CONFERENCE WERE REPORTED IN PEOPLE'S DAILY ON 15 AND 16 MARCH. TAKEN TOGETHER, WHICH THEY ARE CLEARLY INTENDED TO BE, THEY SHOW ZHAO IN CONFIDENT MOOD, ASSERTING HIS AUTHORITY OVER THE POLITICAL SITUATION HERE.
3. ZHAO TOLD THE PROPOAGANDA DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS THAT GREAT CHANGES HAD TAKEN PLACE IN CHINA'S POLITICAL AND IDEOLOGICAL FIELDS AND THAT INITIAL SUCCESS HAD BEEN ACHIEVED IN OPPOSING THE TENDENCY TOWARDS BOURGEOIS LIBERALISATION M REFERRING TO AN UNPUBLISHED PARTY ''NOTICE ON SOME QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE CURRENT STRUGGLE AGAINST BOURGEOIS LEBERALISATION', HE SAID IT WOUILD SERVE TO PREVENT THE EXPANSION OIF THE STRUGGLE BEYONG ITS PROPER BOUNDS WHICH WERE LIMITED TO QUESTIONS OF POLITICAL PRINCIPLE AND DIRECTION., IT SHOULD NOT SPILL OVER TO ECONOMIC REFORM OR RURAL POLICY. HE ACKNOWLEDGED, IN LINE WITH THE CURRENT CONSENSUS, THAT THE STRUGGLE WAS A LONG TERM ONE AND THAT THERE SHOULD BE A BALANCE
BETWEEN ADHERENCE TO THE FOUR CARDINAL PRINCIPLES AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF REFORM. BUT HIS MAIN POINT WAS CLEARLY TO DEFINE THE LIMITATIONS OF THE MOVEMENT, AND TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE BEGINNING
OF THE END OF IT WAS IN SIGHT.
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