Military backing for Mao declared

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34127, 13 April 1976, Page 21

Military backing for Mao declared

(N.Z. Press Assn—Copyright) HONG KONG, April 12. China’s military, in mass rallies across the country, has given its full support to Chairman Mao Tse-tung, and has pledged to fight “class enemies” who support the ousted Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Teng Hsiao-ping. As Peking officials reopened Peking’s Tien An Mien Square to the public for the first -time since the rioting there a week ago — which the authorities blamed on Mr Teng — the Chinese news media indicated that the struggle against fiie “capitalist-roader" had only begun. The New China News Agency said that the commanders and rank-and-file of the People’s Liberation Army had vowed to “rally more closely round the party Central Committee headed by Chairman Mao, stand firmly on Chairman Mao’s revolutionary line, and seriously study, and implment, Chairman Mao’s important directives.” The agency added: “The military has angrily denounced the reactionary crimes of the unrepentant c a p i t a 1 i s t-roader, 7 eng Hsiao-ping, and the crime oi a handful of class enemies in creating a counter-revolu-tionary political incident.” The Chinese newspapers •ay that the whole nation is expressing its support for Mao’s decision to dismiss Mr Teng from all posts, and to appoint the acting Prime Minister (Mr Hua Kuo-feng) to the Prime Ministership and to the Vice-Chairman-ship.