Madame Soong mourned

Press, 2 June 1981, Page 8

Madame Soong mourned

NZPA-Reuter Peking More than 30,000 mourners yesterday filed past the remains of Soong Chinling, widow of revolutionary leader, Dr Sun Yat-sen, whose body is lying in state in Peking’s Great Hall of the People. Peking radio said the mourners included the Communist Party Chairman (Mr Hua Guofeng), who is believed now to hold only nominal power and appears only on ceremonial occasions.

Like Saturday, when leaders filed past Madame Soong’s body at her home, Mr Hua was preceded by his main opponent, the ViceChairman, Deng Xiaoping, and his likely successor as party chief, Hu Yaobang. The body of Madame Soong, who died on Friday aged 88, lay in a crystal coffin covered by the flag of the Chinese Communist Party. Madame Soong was admitted into the party on her

deathbed, and as an even greater honour was made honorarj' president of the People’s Republic. Mr Deng was the first active leader to be mentioned while Mr Hua’s name appeared six places lower, immediately after the Defence Minister (Mr Geng Biao). Diplomatic sources said the order of names offered more confirmation that Mr Hua's days as chairman are numbered, but care had been taken not to humiliate him

by placing him. too low down: Mr Hua is believed to be well to the left of Mr Deng and his associates, and to be more attached to the ideals of the late Chairman Mao Tse-tung than the rest of the leadership. He is widely expected to step down at a party meeting likely to be held this month. The Soviet President (Mr Leonid Brezhnev) has sent condolences to the Chinese authorities on ’the death of Madame Soong.