CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 020/6
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 579
OF 051002Z APRIL 89
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, ACTOR, WASHINGTON, MOSCOW
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS NEW YORK, CANBERRA
INFO ROUTINE UKREP JLG HONG KONG
INFO SAVING SHANGHAI
45
120165
MDHIAN 9370
MY 2 IPTS : NPC MEETING: COMMENT.
►
1 THE CRITICAL ATTITUDE OF MPS THROUGHOUT THIS SESSION REFLECTED A LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT. NOT ONLY IS ITS AUSTERITY PROGRAMME CAUSING HARDSHIPS (AS WITNESS THE PROVINCIAL DEPUTIES VYING TO MAKE THEIR OWN REGIONS AN EXCEPTION TO IT), BUT MANY FEEL IT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED WITH BETTER MANAGEMENT AND IS NOT BRINGING THE REQUIRED RESULTS. THE BRUNT OF THIS DISGRUNTLEMENT IS BEING BORNE SQUARELY BY LI PENG. HE IS NOW IDENTIFIED WITH A WIDELY UNPOPULAR POLICY, WHILE ZHAO HAS ENJOYED THE IMAGE DURING THE SESSION OF SOMEBODY ABOVE THE FRAY. HIS PHOTOGRAPH HAS APPEARED MORE FREQUENTLY THAN LI'S AND USUALLY IN THE COMPANY OF THE PARTY ELDERS. A RESULT OF THIS NPC SESSION MAY HAVE BEEN TO GIVE LI THE POISONED CHALICE: THE CORRECTION/CENTRALISATION POLICY WITH WHICH HE IS IDENTIFIED HAS BEEN REAFFIRMED BUT HIS OWN POLITICAL SURVIVAL COULD BE CALLED IN QUESTION EITHER BY ITS FAILURE OR ITS COMPLETE SUCCESS. LI MAY HAVE BEEN OUT-MANOEUVRED.
2. DURING THE NPC DENG XIAOPING MADE REMARKS TO THE VISITING UGANDAN PRESIDENT WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN CALCULATED TO DEFLECT CRITICISM OF ZHAO. DENG SAID THAT MORAL EDUCATION WAS A MORE SERIOUS PROBLEM THAN INFLATION AND THAT THIS HAD BEEN NEGLECTED OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS. (SOME HAVE SEEN THIS AS A VEILED CRITICISM OF LI PENG WHO HEADED THE STATE EDUCATION COMMISSION BETWEEN 1985 AND 1988). MORAL EDUCATION HAS INDEED EMERGED AS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE IN THE COURSE OF THE NPC AND THE LACK OF ATTENTION GIVEN TO IT BY LI PENG IN HIS REPORT (3 PARAGRAPHS IN A VERY LENGTHY DELIVERY) NOW LOOKS ODD. ZHAO, WITH PERHAPS BETTER TACTICAL INSTINCT, HAS BEEN EMPHASIZING IDEOLOGICAL POLITICAL WORK SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. A SPEECH MADE BY HIM ON PARTY BUILDING (AND ALL THAT THAT ENTAILS) WAS PUBLISHED PROMINENTLY ON THE FRONT-PAGE OF PEOPLE'S DAILY 3 DAYS BEFORE
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CONFIDENTIAL
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