China promotes technocrats

Press, 3 July 1979, Page 8

China promotes technocrats

NZPA-Reuter Peking China’s Parliament, the National People’s Congress, has ended a two-week session by electing three new Vice-Premiers, all economic experts and victims of the Cultural Revolution.

Diplomats said the new additions to the State Council (Government) reflected the nation’s determination to tap the skills of technocrats to the utmost. The new Vice-Premiers are Chen Yun, Bo Yibo, and Yao Ylin. Mr Chen, aged 74, was rehabilitated last year and, as a vice-chairman of the Communist Party, ranks fifth in the Chinese hierarchy. Like Mr 80, who is 71, he was a Vice-Premier

before the Cultural Revolution. Mr Yao, aged 68, wai until recently Minister ol Commerce, the position ht also held from 1960 to 1961 when he was accused ol being a “counter-revolution-ary revisionist.” The three men were nomin. ated by the Prime Ministci (Mr Hua Guofeng) who tol< the Congress that their elec tion would “strengthen thi leadership of the Stan Council.”

The Congress also electei four new vice-chairmen <j its own, the most notabli being Peng Zhen, purged a Mayor of Peking at the star of the Cultural Revolutioi and rehabilitated early thi year.