Leading victim of China purge, Liu, still alive

Press, 24 October 1978, Page 9

Leading victim of China purge, Liu, still alive

NZPA-Reuler Peking China’s former Head of State, Mr Liu Shao-chi. the most prominent victim of I the Cultural Revolution of The late 19605, is still alive, but is most unlikely to reappear in public, according to (authoritative sources in Peking. Mr Liu, who now is 80, was stripped of all his Government and party posts in It!.. 8 during the Cultural Revolution after being savagely attacked in wall posters for alleged “revisionist” and prcf-Soviet tendencies. The slender, white-haired Marxist, who had joined the Chinese Communist Party while in Moscow in 1921, had taken office as Chairman of the Peoples Republic (Head of State) in 1959 w'hen the late party chairman, Mao Tse-tung. relinquished that position. There had been persistent rumours that Mr Liu had died in the early 19705, but authoritative sources have flatly denied this. He is still described in

t public utterances as having been the chtef of a “bourgeois headquarters.” although some of China’s leaders ap, ar to have toned 'down their references to him. Some sources said a re-evaluation of his position had begun, to determine his future place in Chi- . nese communist history (There was no indication, I however, that he personally ! would be rehabilitated durling his lifetime. One irony of his downfall (in 1968 was that con‘■stitutionally he could not be removed as Head of State until such action was approved by the National People’s Congress (Parliainjent). The Congress did not ‘meet until 1975, when the ipost of Head Of State was abolished. There have been some indications in recent months of a possible dehate underway about his historical (role. His son is reported to be enrolled in a Peking univerislty, in line with present

Chinese statements that children should not hr blamed for the sins of their parents. Diplomatic analysts say it is evident that some of the policies Mr Liu advocated ir the early !9(>os — such as . more rational structure for industry — are making i comeback a- China strive* t modernise itself The condemnation of Mt Liu does appear to have »ased to some extent ir comparison with the attack* c those who have mors recently been plunged inti disgrace — the late Defence Minister. Mr Lin Piao. an> the "Gang of Four" ex tremist leaders purged tw< years ago. Reliable sources have saic Mr Lin Piao, who was re garded as second only t< Mao Tse-tung after Mr Liu < disgrace, died when a Brit-ish-built Trident jet crashe. in Mongolia as he tried t< flee from China in Septem ber. 1971. Mr Lin has beet accused of being involved it a conspiracy against Mao.