Reforms Supported as China Prepares for a Party Congress

The Central Committee of China’s Communist Party on Tuesday formally approved preparations for an upcoming party congress that is intended to push forward policies of openness and reform.

The session endorsed draft revisions of some articles of the party constitution and approved in principle a document on reform of China’s political structure, according to the official New China News Agency.

Political reforms aimed at lessening the direct day-to-day administrative role of the Communist Party in government and the economy are expected to be a key topic of discussion at the party congress, which opens Sunday.

Will Allow Deng Move

Changes in the party constitution are believed to be intended partly to allow paramount leader Deng Xiaoping, 83, to step down from the powerful Politburo Standing Committee but retain chairmanship of the party’s Military Commission.

Under the current party constitution, the Military Commission post, which is equivalent to being armed forces commander in chief, must be filled by a member of the Politburo Standing Committee.

Diplomats and other analysts believe that by planning to step down from the Politburo Standing Committee, Deng has brought pressure on other elderly leaders to relinquish their positions, thus opening the way for promotion of younger men more enthusiastically dedicated to reform.

Presiding over Tuesday’s meeting were the five current members of the Politburo Standing Committee: Deng; acting General Secretary Zhao Ziyang, 68; President Li Xiannian, 78; Chen Yun, 82, and former General Secretary Hu Yaobang, 72.

Lost Top Post

Hu lost his post as party general secretary in January in a conservative backlash against student demonstrations in favor of more democracy. He has made only a handful of public appearances since then, but Chinese television showed all five leaders on the nightly news broadcast Tuesday.

The Central Committee formally accepted Hu’s resignation and confirmed the appointment of Zhao as acting general secretary, actions first taken in January by an enlarged meeting of the Politburo. The congress is expected to confirm Zhao as general secretary.

Attending the Central Committee meeting were 202 members and 122 alternates, the New China News Agency reported. A new Central Committee, the 13th in the 66-year history of the Chinese Communist Party, will be elected by the congress.