|
Zhao contributed to economy, but made mistakes -China
2005-01-28
BEIJING - China reported the funeral of purged Communist Party chief Zhao Ziyang on Saturday, acknowledging his contribution to China's economic reforms but saying he had made "serious" mistakes in handling the Tiananmen protests of 1989.The five-paragraph Chinese-language report carried by the Xinhua news agency was the first official commentary on the fallen leader in 15 years. After his dismissal he was kept under house arrest until his death on January 17 at the age of 85. "At the initial stage of reform and opening, Comrade Zhao Ziyang held an important leadership post as head of the Party Central Committee and state government, and made some beneficial contributions for the cause of the party and people," Xinhua said. "But during the political disturbances in the late spring and early summer of 1989, Comrade Zhao Ziyang committed serious mistakes," it said. The former premier and party chief was cremated on Saturday at a low-key ceremony at the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery in Beijing's western suburbs. Zhao was ousted in 1989 for sympathising with the student protests for democracy centred on Tiananmen Square, which were crushed by the army on the night of June 3-4, killing hundreds.
Hundreds file past body of China's ousted Zhao (2005-01-28)No. 4 China leader attends ousted Zhao's funeral (2005-01-28)Zhao contributed to economy, but made mistakes -China (2005-01-28)China Keeps Dissidents Away From Memorial (2005-01-28)China clamps down for funeral of ousted Zhao (2005-01-28)
| 
