MOVEMENT OF TROOPS

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31341, 11 April 1967, Page 13

MOVEMENT OF TROOPS

‘Alert’ On Border (N.Z.P.A.-Ktutsr—Copyright) HONS KONG, April 10. The English-language newspaper the “Star" said yesterday that the Chinese Defence Minister, Marshal Lin Piao, the heir-apparent to the Chairman, Mao Tse-tung, had ordered an alert on the Russian border as the campaign against the Head of State, Liu Shao-chi, neared a showdown. The paper, quoting “unconfirmed reports,” said that massive troop movements were going on inside China, including the withdrawal of the many thousands rushed to the south China province of Kwangtung some weeks ago to cope with a planned anti-Maoist revolt. The order of Marshal Lin, who was said to have recently made an extensive tour of the defence zones on the Russian borders, was believed to be probably connected with fears of anti-Mao uprisings if Liu was dismissed, the paper said. It added that Sinklang, Inner Mongolia, Tibet, Hunan and Shantung were still controlled by anti-Mao forces opposing the cultural revolution and were against the purging of senior officials who had served the Communist Party all their lives. The troops being withdrawn from Kwangtung were reported to be moving to northern provinces, where Liu Shao-chi still had strong support.