The Tiananmen papers (the basis for the book by that name) have been a hot topic for discussion since they came to light in the West. Even Harvard University's student newspaper The Harvard Crimson, which has rarely been interested in the distant land of China, recently asked me for a contribution. For many people, the most interesting question is: Who planned the release of these documents to the West ?
From various analyses in the mass media and on the Internet, I would suggest the following six possible answers.
1. Reformists in the Communist Party. Most people find this explanation acceptable. A commentary by the CBS TV network suggested that the reformists are putting up a fight against Jiang Zemin (江澤民) by bringing the documents to light. The three China experts who translated the papers -- Andrew Nathan (黎安友), Perry Link (林培瑞) and Orville Schell (夏偉) -- also hold this view. Both in his CBS interview and in his preface to the book, the man codenamed "Zhang Liang" (張良) who smuggled the secret documents out of China, described his behind-the-scene backer in China as a Yeltsin-like figure -- an obvious indication of a high-level reformist official.
2. Members of Yang Shangkun's (
3. Members of Deng's family. Some commentators have written on a Web site based in North America that, as Deng's influence waned rapidly after his death, Deng Linfang (鄧林方) and Deng Zhifang (鄧質方) saw themselves sidelined economically and politically by Jiang's people. The Deng family was therefore extremely unhappy with Jiang's behavior in "destroying the bridge after crossing the river." Obviously, the revelation in the secret documents that Deng held firm on reforms while cracking down on the movement smacks of an intent to paint a favorable picture of Deng. It is quite possible, therefore, that members of Deng's family released the documents.
4. US intelligence agencies. Some believe that US politicians are advocating a tough stance against China and pressuring the new president, George W. Bush, to reverse Washington's previous weak-kneed policy toward China. They believe the CIA has fabricated the documents to influence Washington's policy. They also point to the ubiquitous hype in US mainstream media as evidence.
5. The Taiwan authorities. The proposition might sound ridiculous, but some do believe it. They say that the revelation of these documents is in the interests of Taiwan because a tougher China policy from Washington may facilitate Taiwan's military purchases. Perhaps Taiwan readers may find this view too far-fetched, but bringing the "Taiwan independence" label into mainland politics is one of the absurdities in China's domestic political arena. Just recently, China Central Television (
6. Commercial fabrication. Others believe the entire dossier has been forged for personal commercial purposes. Philip Cunningham, a freelance writer who became famous for his interview of student leader Chai Ling (
I believe the source of the Tiananmen papers will not be kept secret for very long because Zhang has met with quite a few people. As time passes, the people who engineered this political maneuver will come to light.
Wang Dan was a student leader during the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations in Bei-jing. He is currently a graduate student at Harvard University.
Translated by Francis Huang
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