Naming Names

From Martyn

Further to an earlier post on this site regarding the possible rehabilitation of Hu Ya0bang, today’s unlinkable South China Morning Post reports that the Chinese authorities plan to spend over 40 million yuan to commemorate the 90th birthday of the late reformist in his hometown in Hunan Province. Hong Kong’s Wen Wei Po (pro-Beijing newspaper) also reports that CCTV will even televise the 20th November celebrations live:

The expansive activities in the remote village of Cangfeng in Hunan province will be held alongside an unusual ceremony at the Great Hall of the People on November 20, seen as a move by The money would go on repairs to Hu Yaobang’s childhood home in Cangfang as well as building an exhibition hall, a 3,000 square metre plaza and a road connecting the village with the city of Liuyang , relatives said. Villagers in Cangfang were eagerly preparing for the commemorative activities, after 16 years of silence since Hu Yaobang passed away on April 15, 1989.

Hu Dezi , Hu’s nephew and director of the Hu memorial home, confirmed yesterday that the central and Hunan provincial governments had together provided more than 40 million yuan for the project. He said that with builders working around the clock, the exhibition hall, designed by architects from Tsinghua University, was expected to open on November 20. “I still insist that my uncle did not make any mistakes. I stress that the 90th anniversary of his birth is not a ceremony about redress, but a celebration of rehabilitation.”

Earlier reports this week from Reuters said that President Hu Jintao had decided the government would officially mark the 90th anniversary of Hu Yaobang’s birth on November 20 in Beijing.

However, the government has also made clear the official verdict that the TS protest was carried out by c0unter-rev0lutionaries will not be changed.

The Discussion: 2 Comments

I wonder what this rehabilitation might mean for Sino-Japanese relations. One of HYB’s “mistakes” was to go soft on Japan.

September 7, 2005 @ 3:52 pm | Comment

Thanks Dylan. I’ve just done a new post about Sino-Japanese relations in light of Koizumi’s recent insinuations that he will continue the shrine visits (no surprise there).

As far as China-Japan relations go, I reckon they’re only going to get worse unfortunately.

September 7, 2005 @ 7:02 pm | Comment

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