tiananmen square 3: the leadup continued
By this date in 1989 events weren't moving all that fast, but it was on the 8th that an event happened that had major consequences. This was the day that Hu Yaobang suffered the heart attack the signalled the end of his life was near.
Although the leadership was aware of growing economic inequality, accusations of corruption, and student unrest, they didn't seem to think that dissatisfaction was likely to manifest itself in major protests. However, they do seem to have been aware that Hu and other modernisers had a lot of support in the country, and that the desire for reform might cause people to use Hu Yaobang's death as a pretext to demonstrate in some way.
They do seem to have been caught on the hop, and to have been torn between those who wanted to press ahead with further modernisation, and those who wanted to emphasise that there would be no reform such as the eastern bloc was experiencing.
Incidentally, a little while afterwards I remember reading a western commentator who suggested that what really upset western democratic governments wasn't the eventual bloody supression of dissent, but the fact that it was carried out so publicly. He speculated that many governments were interested in what could be learned from economic liberalism and sustained growth combined with internal repression. It's extreme, but there may be a kernel of truth in there. Indeed, shortly after the massacre former US president Richard Nixon flew to China to finalise an arms deal. Yet another eloquent demonstration of what a vile man he was, and how little he's missed.
Next week events start to take on a more urgent momentum. And I promise to have some links sorted out - really.
Although the leadership was aware of growing economic inequality, accusations of corruption, and student unrest, they didn't seem to think that dissatisfaction was likely to manifest itself in major protests. However, they do seem to have been aware that Hu and other modernisers had a lot of support in the country, and that the desire for reform might cause people to use Hu Yaobang's death as a pretext to demonstrate in some way.
They do seem to have been caught on the hop, and to have been torn between those who wanted to press ahead with further modernisation, and those who wanted to emphasise that there would be no reform such as the eastern bloc was experiencing.
Incidentally, a little while afterwards I remember reading a western commentator who suggested that what really upset western democratic governments wasn't the eventual bloody supression of dissent, but the fact that it was carried out so publicly. He speculated that many governments were interested in what could be learned from economic liberalism and sustained growth combined with internal repression. It's extreme, but there may be a kernel of truth in there. Indeed, shortly after the massacre former US president Richard Nixon flew to China to finalise an arms deal. Yet another eloquent demonstration of what a vile man he was, and how little he's missed.
Next week events start to take on a more urgent momentum. And I promise to have some links sorted out - really.
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