TNAG-1343-FCO40-1773-Visit-by-Margaret-Thatcher--UK-Prime-Minister--to-Beijing-fo-1984 — Page 63

Zhao Ziyang replaced Hua Guofeng as Premier in September 1980.

He was then a comparative newcomer to national politics having

spent the bulk of his career as a provincial administrator. At that level however he had served in the highest position in two of China's most important provinces.

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Little is known of his early career. From 1949 until his dismissal in the Cultural Revolution he worked in Guangdong

province, and is said to have specialised in agricultural policy,

though he clearly went beyond this and by 1965 he had become First

Secretary. He reappeared in 1971 and by 1974 he was again First

Secretary of Guangdong. He was transferred to Sichuan in 1976,

and, after a sticky period in the first part of the year when he

was criticised in wall posters for his association with Deng

Xiaoping, his career really took off following the overthrow of

the "Gang of Four". In 1977 he was elected an alternate member of

the Politburo; he was promoted to full membership in December 1978, and in February 1980, on his transfer to Peking, was promoted again to membership of the Politburo's Standing Committee. Shortly after that he was made "Standing Vice Premier" (ie in charge of the day to day work of the government) which led directly to his appointment as Premier.

In 1981 he gained a further Party promotion to Vice-Chairman of the Central Committee, ranking fourth in the

leadership.

Zhao owes his position to Deng Xiaoping whom he impressed with his successful management of Sichuan province. He arrived in 1976 to find its economy in a mess, having to import grain although traditionally one of China's most prolific agricultural

areas. He swiftly reversed the situation. Many of the industrial

and agricultural reforms he pioneered there have since become

national models.

But although he can obviously be counted amongst

the reformers in the leadership, he has guided the implementation of

reforms with prudence, being aware of the problems to which they

give rise as well as the benefits.

CONFIDENTIAL