Under house arrest since the Tiananmen incident, a new book shows he still endorses the democratisation of China
Aug 7 2004

Straits Times | 7 Aug
by Ching Cheong

HONG KONG - China's former top leader Zhao Ziyang, who was toppled in June 1989 for being soft on students demonstrating for democracy in Tiananmen Square and has been under house arrest ever since, has continued to argue for political reform to this day.

This comes through clearly in a just published book by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) veteran Zong Fengming, the only person outside of the Zhao family who is allowed to visit the ailing 84-year-old from time to time to treat him with qigong.
Written as a memoir and entitled My Life: A Reflection And Some Memories Of My Discussions With Zhao Ziyang, the book is the most comprehensive record yet of the former leader's views about China and the post-1989 world.

To ensure accuracy and avoid landing Mr Zhao in hotter soup, the 85-year-old author had him check the manuscript before publication.

Mr Zhao did. And his unwavering commitment to political reform comes through loud and clear from his very decision to allow publication of a speech which he made in defence against charges levied at him by hardliners during the 1989 crisis.
In that speech, never made public until now, he said in response to denunciations of him for being soft and opposing the use of troops to crush the protest: 'Sooner or later, China has to become democratised as well.

'Instead of being forced by the tide of changes, it would be much better if we champion the changes ourselves. In my long years of work, I deeply feel that the world has changed and people's minds have also changed.

'The idea of democracy is beginning to take root in China and we have to learn how to deal with our problems in a democratic manner.'

He was prepared to go to jail for his beliefs. In fact, then Premier Li Peng and other hardliners called for imprisonment, but Mr Deng Xiaoping, the supreme leader, vetoed that.

He reportedly explained that though Mr Zhao had erred, he had still done a lot of good work during his five years as party chief.

Mr Deng then added that not a single word from Mr Zhao's political report to the CCP's 13th National Congress was to be changed.

That ruling saved Mr Zhao from a harsher fate and kept intact the report which, to this day, remains the most open-minded advocacy for political reform in the CCP's history.

According to the book, Mr Zhao reiterated his calls for reform in a letter to the CCP's 15th National Congress in 1997, saying that it should start with reversing the wrong verdict passed on the Tiananmen incident.

He argued that the error had to be corrected, and the sooner the better. The damage to the party would be less if it corrected the mistakes itself.

And whatever political problems that could follow would be solved more easily in times of relative stability.

Offering his services to help bridge the rift between the party and the people, he wrote: 'Don't treat me as a factor of instability.'

Not only was his appeal brushed aside, but controls over him were also tightened. For example, his request for permission to read past speeches and documents written by him so as to facilitate his memoir work was rejected.

Commenting on the tighter controls, Mr Jiang Zemin, Mr Zhao's successor, was reported to have said: 'He invited the insult himself.'

But Mr Zhao remains undaunted. 'This road is chosen by me,' he said in another passage quoted in the book.

'I don't want the party to leave behind a historical liability. I am glad that, after all, in the history of the CCP, there is still someone who dares to stand up.'

The book also reproduces a letter written by Mr Zhao on May 26, 1984, to Mr Deng, urging the latter to initiate political reform so as to create a system that can guarantee China's long-term stability.

'Since we are a socialist country led by the CCP, it is of paramount importance that we reform the leadership system within the party,' he wrote.

'I sincerely hope you can spare some time to look into this important issue that could have an impact on the long-term stability and prosperity of our party and country.'

His plea was heard by Mr Deng, who began speaking about political reform from 1985, as can be gleaned from The Selected Works Of Deng Xiaoping.

But then Tiananmen happened. That gave the hardliners the chance to oust Mr Zhao and gain ascendancy.
The rest, as they say, is history.