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Special Analysis
Fighting Buck
Central Secrttary Zhao Ziyang's handling of Ike student demonstrations last week has given him an opportunity to reasttrt his leadership and ust the Slno-Soviet summitoming Central Committee plenum to arrest the erosion in his power. Seizing the initiative and gaining Peng Xiaoping'* tacit support probably mil enable Zhao at least to buy time if he can co-opt at least some key student leaders to prevent large and embarrassing demonstrations during General Secretary Gorbachev's visit next week.
Zhao has already begun io reach ouihe students.
student leaders were imormeo aOvaiiT^or^TiaTory tniu' olay speech to the Asian Development Bank meeting and elected to end their boycott of classes primarily to strengthen Zhao's position. Since then Zhao has moved to put political refcrn^aclcorulH^acndabypublici?ing his support forong Kong press report, moreover, says Den*have apologized privately for his harsh criticism of students, showing support for Zhao's more conciliatory approach. |
Deng almost certainly regards himself and his reform policies as the real target of attacks on Zhao and may push his protege into the limelight during the summit to leave no doubt where his support lies. In turn. Zhao could use his meeting wuh Gorbachevtress their common interest in pushing political reforms like greater freedom of theey student demand |
Seizing the initiative now is Zhao's brst hope of influencing the plenum that is expected later this month or in June. Before the protests. Zhao's opponents almost certainly were planning to use it to attack Zhao's failure to deal with parly affairs and ideological matters, and they probably will still try to blame the student unrest on his policies, pjaasgjassj
Zhao may hope that over the summer he can tap growing dissatisfaction with Premier Li Peng's retrenchment program, particularly among provincial leaders and the huge state enterprise sector, to counter atfmpls to strip him of power al party meetings later this year. Zhao will need Deng's active support to succeed, but whetherycar-old Deng has the stamina to do so is uncertain.
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