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SCENE AS I THEN SAW IT. I DO NOT THINK THAT THE PICTURE HAS SINCE
CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY. THE LATENT CONFLICT BETWEEN THE HUMANISTS COR LIBERALS) AND THE BUREAUCRATS REMAINS UNRESOLVED. AS A RESULT,
BOTHT THE POLICIES AND THE NEW LEADERSHIP RESULTING FROM THE CONGRESS WILL BE THE PRODUCTS OF COMPROMISE. HOWEVER, THE MAIN QUESTIONS FACING THE CONGRESS HAVE BECOME CLEARER, TOGETHER WITH
SOME OF THE SOLUTIONS TO BE ADOPTED.
5. IN MY DESPATCH, I SAID THAT THE ATMOSHPERE OF THE CONGRESS WOULD LARGELY DEPEND ON THE EXTENT TO WHICH PRIOR APPROVAL OF THE CONGRESS
DOCUMENTS HAD BEEN REACHED WITHIN THE PARTY LEADERSHIP. AS A RESULT
OF LENGTHY MEETINGS DURING THE SUMMER, AGREEMENT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN
RACHED OVER THEIR FORM AND CONTENT. THERE WAS UNDOUBTEDLY MUCH
DEBATE AT THE TIME, BUT I DO NOT THINK THE CONGRESS WILL REOPEN
THIS. ONE REASON FOR THIS BELIEF IS THE UNPRECEDENTED OPENNESS WITH
WHICH THE PREPARATIONS FOR THE CONGRESS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED. AS A SMALL EXAMPLE, WE HAVE NEVER BEFORE KNOWN SO FAR IN ADVANCE THE
PROJECTED OPENING DATE. THE DRAFT OF THE MAIN DOCUMENT TO BE PRESENTED TO THE CONGRESS, ZHAO ZIYANG'S WORK REPORT, WAS CIRCULATED WIDELY TO BOTH PARTY AND TRUSTED NON-PARTY MEMBERS IN SEPTEMBER AND
THEIR COMMENTS WERE ACTIVELY SOUGHT. SUCH CONSULTATION WAS ALSO
UNPRECEDENTED AND WAS A FURTHER INDICATION OF THE DETERMINATION OF
THE PRESENT LEADERSHIP TO INVOLVE MANY MORE PEOPLE IN
DECISION-MAKING.
6.
MANY OF THE KEY OBJECTIVES FOR THE LIKELY RESULTS OF THE`
CONGRESS HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED IN SOME DEPTH IN THE CHINESE PRESS.
SOME OF THE MAIN OBJECTIVES ARE:
A) TO ENDORSE THE MAIN LINES OF THE CURRENT POLICIES OF ECONOMIC
REFORM: IN THE WORDS OF ZHAO ZIYANG, TO ACCELERATE AND DEEPEN ECONOMIC STRUCTURAL REFORM AND TO FURTHER OPEN UP INTERNALLY AND
EXTERNALLY.
B) TO PROVIDE A THEORETICAL AND IDEOLOGICAL UNDERPINNING FOR THE
ESSENTIALLY PRAGMATIC ECONOMIC POLICIES THAT HAVE BEEN PURSUED IN
THE LAST NINE YEARS. SUCH AN IDEOLOGICAL FOUNDATION IS LONG OVERDUE
AND HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MAIN WEAKNESSES IN THE REFORM PACKAGE, BOTH
IN ITS PRESENTATION AND IN ITS EXECUTION. I EXPECT THIS TO TAKE THE
FORM OF DEVELOPING THE THEME THT CHINA IS NOW IN THE PRELIMINARY
STAGE OF SOCIALISM.
C) TO TAKE SOME TENTATIVE STEPS TOWARDS POLITICAL REFORM, WHICH HAS PROVED THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE. IT IS PRETTY CLEAR THAT THE
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