PA
TU
GRS 1900
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO DESKEY 10083OZ FCO
TELNO 607
OF 100852Z APRIL 87
CONFIDENTIAL
INFO ROUTINE MODUK, WASHINGTON, MOSCOW, TOKYO, UK DEL NATO,
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG
Hub .020/1
4
MODUK FOR Drill ROW3)
YOUR TELNO 308 (NOT REPEATED): CHINA INTERNAL
SUMMARY
14 APRIDC7
1. THE REFORMERS AND ZHAO ZIYANG HAVE SURVIVED THE INITIAL REPERCUSSIONS OF THE FALL OF HU YAOBANG WITH MUCH OF THE REFORM PROGRAMME INTACT. HOWEVER, CONSERVATIVE VOICES HAVE TO BE ACCORDED MORE RESPECT IN POLICY-MAKING AND THE PROBLEMS IN THE ECONOMY HAVE PUT THE REFORMERS SOMEWHAT ON THE DEFENSIVE, AT LEAST AS FAR AS HINTRODUCING NEW REFORMS IS CONCERNED. LEADERSHIP AND SUCCESS HON PROBLEMS ARE FAR FROM SETTLED. ZHAO SEEMS SET TO REMAIN BOTH ACTING GENERAL-SECRETARY AND PREMIER UNTIL THE AUTUMN, BUT IT IS NOT AT ALL CLEAR HOW THE REST OF THE LEADERSHIP LINE UP WILL LOOK THEN.
DETAHL
20
MIN THE THREE MONTHS SINCE THE DISMISSAL OF HU YAOBANG, ZHAO ZAYANG, HAVING FOUND HIMSELF ACTING GENERAL-SECRETARY OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE (HE IS NOT GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE PARTY AS SUCH), HAS PLAYED HIS HAND WITH CONSIDERABLE SKILL. THE GENERAL POLITICAL AND SOCHIAL ATMOSPHERE IN CHINA IS NOT AS DARK AS IT SEEMED THAT IT MIGHT BECOME IN THE IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH OF 16 JANUARY. ZHAO AND THE REFORMERS RODE OUT THE IMMEDIATE STORM. WITHIN QUITE A SHORT TIME, ZHAO WAS ABLE TO WHIN AGREEMENT WITHIN THE LEADERSHIP FOR HIS LINE THAT THE IDEOLOGICAL STRUGGLE AGAINST BOURGEOIS LIBERALISATION SHOULD BE LIMITED TO THE PARTY AND SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO AFFECT OTHER ASPECTS OF CHINESE LIFE, NOTABLY THE POLICHES OF ECONOMIC REFORM AND OF OPENING TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD, (THIS IS THE CORRECT LOCATION. THE CHINESE NEVER SPEAK OF THE OPEN DOOR POLICY, BECAUSE THIS WAS THE NAME OF THE POLICY ARTICULATED BY HAY, THE UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE, IN 1898). DESPITE SOME ATTEMPTS TO SUBVERT THIS LINE. BY WIDENING THE LUMITS SET, THE LINE HAS HELD FAIRLY WELL AND WAS REITERATED WITHOUT QUALIFICATION IN ZHAO'S SPEECH TO THE NPC (MY TELNO 518). MANY MORE SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF ECONOMIC POLICY HAVE BEEN UPHELD IN THE COURSE OF THE LAST TWO MONTHS. THERE HAS BEEN NO LARGESCALE WATCHHUNT OF HU YAOBANG'S SUPPORTERS, AND COMPARATIVELY FEW PEOPLE HAVE SO FAR LOST THEIR JOBS OR REPUTATIONS. THE VORCE OF THE OLD GUARD, ARGUING FOR GREATER IDEOLOGICAL ORTHODOXY, HS NOW CONSIDERABLY LESS STRIDENT THAN T
WAS.
1
ZHAO HIMSELF SEEMS TO HAVE GROWN STEADILY INTO HIS NEW JOB AND NS SPEAKING WITH MUCH MORE AUTHORITY (MY TELNO 464). AFTER A PUZZLING DELY, DENG XIAOPING HAS PUBLICLY AND UNEQUIVOCALLY
CONFIDENTIAL
/REAFFIRMED
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