A secret report entitled How the Chinese Communist Party Should Lead the Capitalist Class has recently been circulated in political circles in Beijing. The report's main points are: one, a capitalist class exists in China, which has been produced under the auspices of the party; two, this new capitalist class wants very much to take power, and by changing the character of the party it is very possible that it could achieve this goal; three, the party should control this new capitalist class through the laboring masses in order to consolidate its hold on power.
The author of the report, Lin Yanzhi (林炎志), is a typical member of the "princeling party" (太子黨) -- the children and relatives of the ruling elite. His father, Lin Feng (林楓), is a former head of the Party School of the party's Central Committee. Lin Yanzhi graduated from Qinghua University, then served as secretary of the Beijing branch of the Communist Youth League. After the 1989 Tiananmen Square incident he became deputy secretary of the party committee in charge of student affairs at Beijing University. He is conservative but eloquent and imaginative, and he once advocated morning runs at 6am for all students at the university, only to become disliked by the students. After the 15th National Congress, he was transferred from the university to become a standing member of the Hebei Provincial Committee and head of the provincial propaganda department. He is now deputy secretary of the party committee in Jilin province.
Lin's report was first circulated underground in the form of a printed manuscript, but it is said later to have gained the approval of Li Peng (李鵬), chairman of the standing committee of the National People's Congress; Wei Jianxing (尉健行), standing committee member of the party's central committee's politburo;and others. Li ordered the report sent to the members of the central committee. After amendments and abridgment the report was also published in the latest issue of the leftist magazine The Search for Truth (真理的追求). It is obvious that the publication and circulation of this report is not the work of Lin himself, but a greater effort planned by the party's left wing.
In 1991, after the fall of the Soviet Union and communism in Eastern Europe, princeling members of the party, led by Chen Yuan (陳元), the son of Chen Zhi (陳之), distributed a report inside the party advocating an iron-fisted leadership. Then between 1993 and 1997, Deng Liqun (鄧力群), former head of the propaganda department and others from the old left wing published three "underground documents," challenging the market economy reforms proposed by Deng Xiaoping (鄧小平) and President Jiang Zemin (江澤民) and advocating a renewal of class struggle.
The launching of this attack by Lin Yanzhi is yet another attempt by the party's left wing to influence public opinion. The difference from earlier attempts is that this time they are more vociferous and have gained the open support of Li and others.
The publication of the report is aimed at the reformist camp represented by Premier Zhu Rongji (朱鎔基) and Vice Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶). It was published now because the annual Beidaihe conference (北戴河會議) is about to be held. This conference will be where the party's top leadership discusses personnel and policy matters in preparation for the 16th National Congress.
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