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 (
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 (
In 1991, after the fall of the Soviet Union and communism in Eastern Europe, princeling members of the party, led by Chen Yuan (
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 (
Zhu has recently declared that he will not serve another term, but he is actively advocating that the open-minded and economically well-versed Wen become his successor. A great deal of maneuvering is taking place inside the party over the election of the next premier. Not long ago, the left-wing stalwart Song Renqiong (
The party's internal struggle is becoming a very complicated triangular balance of power between Jiang and his confidants, Zeng Qinghong (曾慶紅) and Vice President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤), who also vice chairman of the Central Military Commission; Zhu and Wen; and the powerful conservatives represented by Li Peng, striving to direct the policies of China after next year's congress. Under these circumstances, it will be very interesting to see what kind of political reaction the mobilization of the left wing will bring.
Wang Dan was a student leader during the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations in Beijing. He is a graduate student at Harvard University and a columnist for The Journalist magazine.
Translated by Perry Svensson
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