TNAG-1623-FCO40-2237-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1987 — Page 82

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modernisation.

in two ways.

6.

But such judgements need to be qualified

First, Deng may be the most powerful man in China, but it is not clear that he (any more than Gorbachev) is sufficiently powerful to overcome the combined resistance

and inertia facing him. His 1980 speech on reform has recently been republicised. This demonstrates that, seven years after its launch, Deng is still working to have these ideas properly implemented.

7.

Secondly, it is by no means clear how Deng proposes to reconcile his twin goals of a reformed economic system with decentralised decision-making, and a socialist

political system with centralised controls in the hands

of the Communist Party. Deng and those close to him have

recently made the point that socialism cannot exist

without reform, but they have yet to show that reform can be achieved under the type of socialism currently

existing in China.

Autumn Party Congress

8. I agree with Sir Richard that there may now be a new consensus within the leadership. But it is a consensus about what political reform does not mean, including for

example agreement that it does not involve Western

pluralism. There will no doubt be a document on political reform submitted to the Party Congress, but it is by no means clear whether it will, or indeed how it

could, carry forward the earlier aims set out in 1980.

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