5TH LD: Ex-Chinese communist leader Zhao dies at 85

0 Comments | Asian Political News, Jan 18, 2005

BEIJING, Jan. 17 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING)

Former Chinese Communist Party chief Zhao Ziyang, purged in 1989 for breaking ranks in his response to the pro-democracy movement in Tiananmen Square, died of an illness Monday morning at the age of 85, official media reported the same day.

The official Xinhua News Agency reported Zhao's death in a two-paragraph statement.

''Comrade Zhao Ziyang died of an illness in a Beijing hospital Monday,'' it said, noting Zhao ''had long suffered from multiple diseases affecting his respiratory and cardiovascular systems, and had been hospitalized for medical treatment several times.''

Zhao had been in a coma since Friday, and his heart stopped in his room at Beijing Hospital at 7:01 a.m. Monday, said Frank Lu Siqing of the Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy in Hong Kong, quoting Zhao's daughter Wang Yannan.

Zhao, who pushed for both political and economic reforms as Communist Party general secretary from 1987 to 1989 after seven years as State Council premier, had been under house arrest since he broke ranks with party comrades and showed sympathy for students demonstrating in Tiananmen Square for more democracy and against official corruption.

In mid-May 1989, as Chinese leaders were finalizing their plans to declare martial law and use force to end the prolonged standoff with the demonstrators, Zhao went to the square and made an emotional plea to them to leave before it was too late. On June 4 that year, troops opened fire on the students, killing hundreds or thousands.

Chinese people in Beijing who have followed Zhao's career said Monday morning they had not yet heard the news as it had not been reported by local broadcast media.

On Monday, Xinhua issued a notice forbidding Chinese broadcast media from reporting Zhao's death. China also disrupted local signals from foreign media such as NHK of Japan and Phoenix TV of Hong Kong.

Some people said they doubted Zhao was dead because a Hong Kong newspaper had falsely reported his death only last Tuesday, prompting Chinese officials to issue a denial. He was also falsely reported dead in April 2003.

Told he was officially confirmed to be dead, Ni Yulan, a Beijing woman watched by police because of her opposition to housing demolition, said, ''Is it a loss? Of course. He cared the most about people with hardships and about democracy.''

''If this is true, I'd like to express my condolences,'' said Shanghai housing rights activist Xu Zhengqing. ''We like Zhao Ziyang. He was really liberal and pushed for open-market reforms.''

Political activists have periodically called for his release and restoration as a political figure, and he remains a hero among middle-aged Chinese people who want a more liberal government.

''He was very good to people, he cared about morality, he was liberal and very down to earth,'' said Yu Meisun, a Beijing-based writer who worked as Zhao's secretary in the State Council for 10 years. ''He was an exceptionally good boss.''

''He gave politics and the economy a great start,'' said Li Chunming, a Beijing political and social historian. ''He's more important than (the late Chinese leader) Deng Xiaoping.''

A member of the Communist Party Central Committee from 1973, Zhao became premier in 1980, serving in that post until 1987 when Deng chose him to become general secretary of the party.

Zhao advocated expanding the market-oriented economic reforms launched by Deng in the late 1970s and adding political reforms. He also played a key role in building the national legal system.

Criticized by party hard-liners over the Tiananmen incident, Zhao was stripped of his post and placed under house arrest. Jiang Zemin replaced him as party leader.

As June 4 remains a forbidden topic of public discussion, Zhao has never been seen in public since his house arrest. Security around him would tighten during sensitive periods, such as June 4 anniversaries and visits by key foreign leaders.

Yan Jiaqi, former head of the Institute of Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, called Zhao's death ''very heartbreaking, very hard to swallow.''

Yan, who fled to France after the Tiananmen Square crackdown and has since settled in New York, criticized China's leadership for not restoring Zhao's good name while he was still alive.

''I hope Beijing's leaders can tell the Chinese people about how good Zhao was as a premier,'' he said.

Xi Jaitun, who was director of Xinhua's Hong Kong branch before Tiananmen, said he was overwhelmed by grief on hearing of Zhao's death.

''Zhao is a pioneer in China's political reforms. Chinese people and history will never forget his contribution,'' said Xi, who left his position after the crackdown and now resides in New York.

On Monday, activity was normal in Tiananmen Square, a prime spot for political demonstrations, and the national flag was flying full mast. No obvious changes were seen at Zhao's house in Beijing, which remained buffered by police.

There has been no word about Zhao's funeral.