TNAG-1622-FCO40-2236-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1987 — Page 122

cies RESTRICTED

FM PEKING

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

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OF 130553Z APRIL 87

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INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG, WASHINGTON, та

INFO SAVING SHANGHAI

CHINA: NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS

SUMMARY

нив

02041

RECEIVER

13 APR 1987

قامة

FICER

PA

REGISTRY Action Taken

1. THE 1997 ANNUAL SESSION OF THE NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONÉZESS CLOSED ON A BUSINESS LIKE BUT NON-CONTROVERSIAL NOTE. ZHAO ZIYANG REMAINS AS PREMIER, AND NO NEW CLUES WERE GIVEN AS TO WHOM HIS SUCCESSOR IN THAT POST MAY BE. BOTH REFORMERS AND CONSERVATIVES WILL BE ABLE TO DERIVE SOME SATISFACTION FROM THE PROCEEDINGS BUT THE BALANCE OF ADVANTAGE LIES WITH THE REFORMERS.

DETAIL

2. THE CLOSING OF THE NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS SESSION ON 11 APRIL PROVIDED NO SIGNIFICANT NEW INSIGHTS INTO THE RELATIVE

STANDINGS OF THE VARIOUS GROUPS ON THE CHINESE POLITICAL STAGE. NO

CHANGES WERE MADE AT VICE-PREMIER LEVEL AND ZHAO ZIYANG REMAINED AS

PREMIER. IT WAS EVIDENTLY JUDGED EITHER TOO DIFFICULT OR PREMATURE

TO MAKE ANY DECISION THAT MIGHT SEEM TO BEAR CLOSELY ON THE POST OF

PREMIER. THAT WILL PROBABLY NOW HAVE TO BE LEFT UNTIL AFTER THE

PARTY CONGRESS IN THE AUTUMN WHEN SOME RESOLUTION OF THE CONTENDING

POLITICAL FORCES WILL HAVE TO BE REACHED. THE CONTINUED FAILURE TO

MAKE ANY APPOINTMENT TO THE MINISTRY OF SUPERVISION, WHOSE CREATION

WAS ANNOUNED LAST YEAR, WAS A FURTHER SIGN THAT DIFFICULT AND

POTENTIALLY CONTROVERSIAL DECISIONS ARE BEING PUT OFF BECAUSE NO

LASTING BALANCE HAS YET BEEN ACHIEVED WITHIN THE LEADERSHIP.

FOUR MINISTERIAL APPOINTMENTS WERE MADE. AS RUMOURED, THE YOUNG

MINISTER OF PUBLIC SECURITY, RUAN CHONGWU, WAS DISPLACED IN FAVOUR

OF WANG FANG. RUAN WAS A SCIENTIST BY BACKGROUND AND HAD NO KNOWN

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IN THE SECURITY APPARATUS WHEN HE WAS APPOINTED

IN SEPTEMBER 1985. HIS APPOINTMENT MAY HAVE BEEN AN ATTEMPT BY HU

YAOBANG TO DILUTE THE POWER OF THE PUBLIC SECURITY SYSTEM BY PLACING

AN OUTSIDE AT ITS HEAD. HOWEVER, EITHER THE EXPERIMENT FAILED OR RUAN WAS NOT UP TO THE JOB. THE NEW MINISTER WAS PREVIOUSLY PARTY SECRETARY IN ZHEJIANG, BUT HE HAS HAD A SOLID BACKGROUND IN PUBLIC SECURITY WORK IN THAT PROVINCE GOING BACK TO SHOPLTY AFTER

LIBERATION IN 1949. THE OTHER MAIN APPOINTMENT WAS THAT OF LI

TIEYING AS MINISTER IN CHARGE OF THE STATE COMMISSION FOR

RESTRUCTURING THE ECONOMIC SYSTEM. IN THIS HE REPLACES ZHAO ZIYANG, WHO PRESUMABLY SHED THE JOR BECAUSE OF HIS EXTRA RESPONSIBILITIES

SINCE JANUARY. LI IS A COMPARITIVELY YOUNG MAN (47) AND WAS

MINISTER OF ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY. HE TRAINED AS AN ENGINEER AND

FIRST ROSE TO PROMINENCE AS PARTY SECRETARY IN SHENYANG ONE OF

CHINA'S MAIN INDUSTRIAL CENTRES AND A CITY WHICH HAS BEEN AT THE

FOREFRONT OF REFORM. HE WOULD APPEAR TO 3E A REFORMER. IT WAS

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