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struggle facing the whole Party and Chinese citizens of all
nationalities". It was totally ineffective in its presumed
objective of clearing the protestors off the streets. the authorities changed their tactics. A softer line prevailed and
a series of abortive attempts were made to negotiate with students.
Meanwhile the protests spread to other parts of the country, and to
other sections of the population. Chinese journalists were
particularly prominent in calling for the lifting of press
restrictions. Workers and even Government officials were seen
joining the demonstrations.
4.
The authorities appeared powerless and demoralised in the face
of the protests. Neither threats nor cajolements prevailed on the
students to stop their demonstrations. As a result the Sino-Soviet
Summit (15-18 May) was severely overshadowed by the demonstrations.
Several humiliating changes had to be made in Mr Gorbachev's
programme, and the students further tightened the screw by announcing a hunger strike the day before Gorbachev's visit.
Nonetheless, the authorities still appeared to hesitate over what
action to take and on 18 May the Premier Li Peng held an
inconclusive and ill-tempered meeting with student leaders.
night he, the present Chinese Party leader, Zhao Ziyang, and other
leaders went to visit some of the hunger striking students in
hospital. Zhao has not appeared in public since then, nor have any
statements been attributed to him.
That
5. Sometime on 19 May the leadership met. Zhao was apparently the
only member of the top leadership to vote against the imposition of
Martial Law. He and his supporters in the leadership were
effectively removed from power, and Premier Li Peng and President
Yang Shangkun made a formal announcement that Martial Law would come
into effect in the Peking city area from 10.00 am on 20 May. But
the decision was in effect Deng Xiaoping's. He evidently hoped that
the declaration, backed by a show of force, would be sufficient to
scare the students off.
6. The result was very different. When troops, first unarmed and
then armed, attempted to move on Tiananmen Square they were blocked
by the citizens of Peking who came out on to the streets and
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