New leader a mystery

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34072, 9 February 1976, Page 15

New leader a mystery

PEKING. February 7

Mr Hua Kuo-feng. the bespectacled security chief who has become Acting Premier, has one thing in common with other leaders of Communist China—little is known about him.

Even his age is uncertain! — it is generally put be-i tween 55 and 60 — and; neither Sinologists nor a Chinese spokesman at Peking could confirm whether he was married. For the past year, observers in Peking have singled out the sturdily-built, crewcut Mr Hua as one of the rising stars in the leadership

(By DAVID ROGERS. N.Z i— but few expected him to {jump into the number one ! State post so quickly. Whether or not he is subsequently ratified by the (National People’s Congress — China’s Parliament — as 'full Premier, Mr Hua has had la remarkably fast promotion. { He first made a mark as [an agricultural expert in ■Chairman Mao Tse-tung’s {home province of Central I Hunan. He was reported to have worked on water conservancy projects in Mao’s birth-place of Shao Shan. He became vice-Governor I of Hunan in 1958 and survived the tumultuous Cultural j Revolution of the 1960 s I without coming under attack! from ultra-Leftist Red; Guards.

Z.P.A.-Reuter correspondent i )| His first move on to the ‘ national stage came with his [election to the Communist .'Party's Central Committee Jin April, 1969. four years J later he was elected to the ,; Politburo. j: The National People's [Congress of January. 1975. {[confirmed Mr Hua’s rapid j | progress. He emerged from Jthe Congress as a Vicei’Premier and Public Security

J Minister. • I Last year he was re- ;[ warded with two highlyjpublicised assignments which jmade him known to China’s [BOO million people. II He delivered the main [speech at a major agricultural conference, issuing a I: tough call for better management at commune level. I Mr Hua also represented the Centra] Government at [ceremonies in the Tibetan [capital of Lhasa to mark the iarea’s tenth anniversary as [an autonomous region within China. [ Still youthful in Chinese : political terms, Mr Hua has [avoided being categorised [with either radical or moderlate elements. , Ironically most observers J at Peking tend to put him in I the same mould of prag- , matic, talented administrator as Mr Teng Hsiao-ping — ; the man generally expected [ to get the premiership. ! In recent months he was t clearly' fulfilling other duties ■ man Public Security Minister land appeared to have taken

lover the massive drive tr mechanise agriculture during ihe next five years His contacts with Western ?rs have been few. One foreign delegation was (deeply impressed b\ th< depth of his knowledge am’ enthusiasm for agriculture ; "Relaxed, pleasant and in ■ telligent,” was how the [Westerners summed up China's new Acting Premier —