TNAG-1239-FCO40-1552-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 77

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connections with overseas Chinese, Taiwanese and figures in

Hong Kong and Macao that Liao did. He is unlikely to assume

Liao's role in the Hong Kong negotiations.

31. It had been long expected that Peng Zhen would replace

Ye Jianying as Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, although

it did not prove easy to persuade Ye to retire.

This was

nevertheless agreed upon earlier in the year. Peng is a

prime representative of the reformists, having been Mayor

and First Party Secretary of Peking in the 1950s and 1960s

before he was brought down in the Cultural Revolution.

32. There are in all 20 Vice Chairmen of the NPC Standing

Committee. They are a mixture of remnant léftists and united

front symbols. The reformists have clearly used these positions

to give prestige without power. The ranking Vice Chairman who

has appeared with Peng Zhen since the Congress, Chen Pixian,

is a member of the Party Secretariat and a reformist. He will

no doubt watch over the others. Headed in each case by a Vice

Chairman, the NPC has also set up six special committees to

deal with particular sectors of work. Here again a number of

the members have question marks over their heads. These bodies

also are unlikely to exercise significant power.

33. In the State Council, there was no doubt that Zhao Ziyang

would be reappointed Premier for a further term of 5 years.

Since his initial appointment in 1980 his stature has grown

CONFIDENTIAL

/steadily.