TNAG-1239-FCO40-1552-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 63

CONFIDENTIAL

CHINA'S SIXTH NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS: FIRST SESSION,

6-21 JUNE 1983

1. In his despatch of 16 March 1978 on the first session of the

Fifth National People's Congress (NPC), Sir Edward Youde reported

that this had been Hua Guofeng's congress. Both in the pictures

and in the decisions taken at the congress Deng Xiaoping was

scarcely visible.

2. Nine months later, in December 1978, Hua Guofeng's star was

eclipsed by Deng's at the Third Plenum of the Eleventh Party

Congress. Since then Deng and the group of reformists around

him have been pursuing their policies with vigour. While these

have not had a totally unimpeded run, they have by and large

carried the day and continue to do so. In the pictures at the

first session of the Sixth NPC, Deng strode past applauding

delegates fully five yards ahead of China's other leaders. This

was his congress, even if a few bedraggled leftists could still

be seen bringing up the rear.

Background

3. In December 1982 the fifth session of the Fifth NPC adopted

a new Constitution for the People's Republic. This became fully

operative with the convocation of the Sixth NPC and two of its

CONFIDENTIAL

/provisions