Centre for China Analysis and Strategy

CHINA-LEADERSHIP: PRINCELING CAUTIONS IT IS PRUDENT TO 'LIE LOW'

South China Morning Post reported on October 30, that 74-year Deng Pufang, the crippled son of Deng Xiaoping and Chairman of the China Disabled Persons Federation, had on September 16, delivered a speech in the presence of all 7 PBSC members where, after praising Xi Jinping, he said

“The reform and opening-up policy brought about earth-shaking changes to China – comprehensive changes in politics, economy, society and culture.

These changes to the social structure, division of interests and way of thinking are fundamental, historical and irreversible.”

He went on to say that China should remain on the same path for a century and not go backward.

“We should … continue down this path … bite the bullet, make no regression and remain unwavering for a hundred years”.

Deng Pufang also lashed out the destructive Cultural Revolution, a decade of social and political upheavals that began in 1966 under supreme leader Mao Zedong.

“We had all been through the Cultural Revolution. Faith and morals were lost, the culture and the society were chaotic,” he said. “People had

lost faith on everything.”

(Comment: Deng Pufang's comments are a clear indicator of the dissatisfaction with Mao-style politics and plea to continue with deng Xiaoping's policies of "democratic" leadership.)