Background
Situation In China
1.
Since the suppression of the student-led protest movement in June the leadership's efforts to enforce ideological orthodoxy have
been intensifying. According to public sources there have been
around 2,000 arrests related to the June events, along with 20
executions. The first expulsions from the party have taken place (of prominent dissidents) and there are signs that a widespread purge of party and government organisations is to be launched. clampdown seems particularly directed at the education sector.
The
Another power
2. Within the leadership there has been much speculation on the
possible imminent death of Deng Xiaoping.
While the rumours have
somewhat subsided they point to an element of instability within the
leadership in that there is now no obvious successor to Deng as the supreme leader in Chinese politics. None of the principal
candidates seem likely to command popular respect. struggle could follow his death. The leadership faces considerable economic problems, in particular inflation. The response has been an austerity drive, with a cutback in state investment. The Chinese
leaders consistently state that the economic reform policies, and
the opening to the outside world, are to continue. But it remains
very uncertain what this means in practice. There is certainly no
impetus for further reforms; and measures that have so far been
taken, eg recentralisation of economic decision making, indicate if
anything a move in the other direction.
EC Measures
3. An initial statement was made by the Twelve on 6 June deploring the Chinese authorities' action on 3/4 June. The Presidency made
demarches to the Chinese authorities on 15 and 17 June stressing
concern at the continuing repression and appealing for clemency in
respect of the first death sentences. On 27 June the European
Council in Madrid issued a declaration which reiterated the Twelve's
strong condemnation and their appeal to stop the executions: it
included a package of measures which largely matched those already taken by the United Kingdom. These included suspension of
ministerial and high level contacts, suspension of military
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