The Press SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 1976. Chou En-lai

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34047, 10 January 1976, Page 12

The Press SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 1976. Chou En-lai

He was once described as the " grey eminence ” of the Chinese Revolution, a man less colourful, and less controversial or prominent than his colleague since the 19205. Mao Tse-tung. but a man who, in his own wav. was of no less importance to the successes of the Chinese Communist Party in seizing power and in transforming Chinese society. Although he was not of peasant stock, and spent some of his early sears outside China. Chou En-lai had impeccable credentials as a revolutionary. While Mao provided the inspiration and theoretical justification for revolutionary advances in China. Chou was content to serve as the careful administrator and conciliator. They were important roles because the Chinese Communist Party is, and always has been, divided over a bewildering variety of issues. Chou’s adroit management prevented any one faction from capturing the party and dragging it Left into radical extremism or Right into reaction or counterrevolution

Since the establishment of the People’s Republic in 1949. Chou has continued to play these roles as Prime Minister of China. He has also played an important role in forming and executing Chinese foreign policy, even after relinquishing the post of Foreign Minister in 1958. Chou’s death raises the possibility that. without his steadying hand, factional strife will Hare and split China. Wrenching changes might be made in China's foreign policy, perhaps to the extent that detente with the West is abandoned and friendship with Russia resumed. The Chinese Communist Party remains as divided as ever into different ideological factions and power blocs, and foreign policy looms large as a point of disagreement between these factions and blocs. But all Chinese at high levels are committed to the revolution and all are loyal to the doctrines of Mao. This commitment and loyalty can be expected to survive even Mao. Historically too. the Chinese abominate disunity and the strife, civil warfare, and possibility of foreign intervention which disunity has always brought in its train. Without the hand of such an adroit politician as Chou, the process of adjustment and compromise within China may be rougher and untidier; but it will undoubtedly continue.

Many of the virtues which Chou exemplified — tolerance, flexibility and understanding of different points of view — were not his monopoly. Others are bound to emerge who have these virtues. In the immediate future. Chou’s role will be taken by his deputy. Teng Hsiao-ping, who has already' proved himself to be an adept politician. He is aw r are that to exclude the “ radicals ” entirely from the Chinese Government, or to give the army a free hand, would be disastrous.

To the Chinese people it is appropriate for New’ Zealand to offer its condolences. New Zealanders have not always agreed with everything the Chinese Communist Party has done, but the party' of which Chou was a leader for so long obviously has the support of a great majority of the Chinese people. They have lost a link with their revolutionary past, one which goes back nearly fill years. While the interest of the rest of the world is. at the moment, focused on what Chou’s death means for the future of China, and for China’s foreign relations, the attention of the Chinese is surely focused on Chou’s long career and its place in their history. The loss of a great leader is important to any* nation.