Word: hua
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Once again, China seems to be embroiled in a power struggle between its ideological factions. One week after the unexpected appointment of the relatively unknown Hua Kuo-feng as the country's acting Premier (TIME, Feb. 16), leftists in Peking's leadership launched a violent attack on their "rightist" enemies. The radicals' rhetorical onslaught, if it continues to grow, could upset the plans for a smooth leadership succession carefully worked out by Chou En-lai before his death last month...
Violent Polemic. That was not all. Shortly after Hua's appointment, People's Daily published its most violent polemic in years-an attack on the large group of bureaucrats, Teng chief among them, who had been restored to power since their disgrace during the Cultural Revolution. "Before it is too late," urged the editorial, "go and tear down their masks, arrest the black hands that have attacked the proletariat, and seize hold of the tails of these foxes who push for the restoration of capitalism...
...ominous, coming as it did so soon after the death of the moderate pragmatist Chou Enlai. At the very least, the new radical attack raised serious questions about China's ability to transfer power smoothly to new leaders. Certainly, the biggest immediate test facing inexperienced acting Premier Hua will be keeping Peking's quarrelsome factions at peace. Moreover, the biggest test of all-managing the world's most populous country after the death of its feeble 82-year-old Chairman-is yet to come...
...press and its sources were sort of taken aback when their speculation fell through and Hua Kuofeng, instead of Teng, took Chou's place. The mark on Teng's political record limits the amount of influence he can really hold. In his book, Prisoner of Mao, Jean Pasqualini recounts a conversation with the chief warden of a Chinese prison for "reform through labor" (Lao Gai) that might have some bearing on the way things have turned out for Teng Hsiao-ping. Many former inmates of this labor camp for ideological reform continued to hold jobs there, away from their families...
Possibly the former security chiefs elevation indicates that Peking intends to get tough with China's chronic problem of factional strife, especially when it leads to work stoppages and violent confrontations, as in Hangchow last year. On the other hand, Hua's almost complete lack of experience in foreign affairs may mean that Foreign Minister Ch'iao Kuan-hua and Teng Hsiao-p'ing, in the spirit of collective leadership, will continue to concentrate on relations with other countries. If that is the case, there is no reason to expect any major changes in China...