“I am not fit to be the general secretary... I am more fit to look after economic affairs.”
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Zhao Ziyang
Zhao Ziyang was a Chinese politician. He served as the premier of China from 1980 to 1987, as vice chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 1981 to 1982, and as the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party from 1987 to 1989. He was in charge of the political reforms in China from 1986, but lost power for his support of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.
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politics · Chinese politician (1919–2005) · politician · also Zhao Ziyang, Zhao Zi Yang, Zhaoziyang, Ziyang
Born 17 October 1919 · Died 17 January 2005 · Q99829
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2026· 3 entries
“s economic reforms. Although Deng Xiaoping was Zhao”
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Public attention spiked: 3,378 Wikipedia readers in one day, 5.1× the usual 657, with 0 article edits.
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2009· 1 entry
But the details of his life remain censored in China
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2005· 1 entry
Died 2005-01-17.
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1989· 1 entry
And publicly critical of Deng Xiaoping, when in fact Fang was living just outside Beijing and deliberately kept silent about politics during the 1989 protests
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1987· 5 entries
Career landmark: General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (1987–1989).
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“a primary stage of socialism”
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Zhao succeeded him as Party general secretary
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Zhao declared that China was in "a primary stage of socialism" that could last 100 years
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And early 1988 focused on combining enterprise contracting and a coastal development strategy
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1984· 1 entry
With his support, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou became experimental cities of a joint-stock system; however, some companies only issued stock to their workers
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1981· 1 entry
Career landmark: Vice Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (1981–1982).
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1980· 1 entry
Career landmark: member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (1980–1989).
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1978· 1 entry
Deng Xiaoping recognized the "Sichuan Experience" as a model for the reform and opening up
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1975· 1 entry
Effectively the province's highest-ranking official
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1974· 1 entry
Career landmark: Secretary of the CCP Guangdong Committee (1974–1975).
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1971· 1 entry
When he and his family were woken in the middle of the night by someone banging on the door
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1967· 1 entry
After which he was paraded through Guangzhou in a dunce cap and publicly denounced as "a stinking remnant of the landlord class"
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1965· 2 entries
Zhao became the Party secretary of Guangdong province
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Career landmark: Secretary of the CCP Guangdong Committee (1965–1967).
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1932· 1 entry
And became a full member of the Party in 1938
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1919· 2 entries
Born 1919-10-17.
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As Zhao Xiuye (Chinese: 趙修業), but changed his given name to "Ziyang" while attending middle school in Wuhan
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