The Hindu : International : Deng's scientific theories will influence the world: Hu

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Monday, Aug 23, 2004

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International

Deng's scientific theories will influence the world: Hu

By P. S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE, AUG. 22. The Chinese President, Hu Jintao, today pledged to strive for the "further development of socialist democracy" and "the promotion of political reform," as the country celebrated the birth centenary of Deng Xiaoping, the chief architect of "opening-up and modernisation drive."

Speaking at the grand centenary function at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Mr. Hu indicated that the process of political reform would be carried forward in "an active and steady manner". "Efforts must be made to develop socialist democracy, improve the socialist legal system, build a socialist country under rule of law and ensure the people exercise the right to democratic election, democratic policy-making, democratic administration and democratic supervision according to law."

A great Marxist

Emphasising that the key to a successful management of the world's most populous country lay in the hands of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), he said it would concentrate on steps to improve its own "governing capability" while "unswervingly pushing forward the fight against corruption." Mr. Hu hailed Deng, who died in February 1997, as "a great Marxist, a great proletarian revolutionary, statesman, military strategist and diplomat and a long-tested Communist fighter" and the "chief architect of China's socialist reform." Deng's "scientific theories" would "continue to change and influence China and the world at large."

Alluding to Deng's creative ideas that fashioned China in the past two-and-a-half decades, Mr. Hu, who is also the CPC's General Secretary, said, "Deng Xiaoping's blueprint for China's modernisation is gradually being turned into a wonderful reality." According to an official version of the key address, Mr. Hu called upon the CPC and the entire people to persist with "arming the whole Party and educating the whole nation with Deng Xiaoping Theory and the `Three Represents' important thought at all times and under all circumstances."

While Deng Xiapoing Theory placed China on its trajectory of rapid economic modernisation, the Three Represents, enunciated by the former President and the CPC's former General Secretary, Jiang Zemin, is widely regarded as a "further development" of Deng Xiapoing Theory. The CPC's representational character has been expanded under this new thought, which Western diplomats and observers interpret as being reflective of the party's intention to move towards a "capitalist manifesto."

Foreign policy

Significant against this background was Mr. Hu's recounting of how Deng had underlined that the "planning and the market are only means of economic development rather than the symbols of socialism and capitalism."

On the "independent foreign policy of peace," Mr. Hu said Deng had, on the basis of his study of the international situation of the 1980s, come to a major conclusion that peace and development were the two important issues of the contemporary world. Recalling Deng's "great concern" for the "reunification of the motherland," Mr. Hu said the Central Government would adhere to the policy of "one country, two systems."

Calling upon all Chinese, including "Taiwan compatriots," to oppose any move towards proclamation of `independence' by that territory, he said: "We are ready to strive for the prospects of peaceful reunification, with our utmost sincerity and utmost efforts, but we are also fully determined and capable of smashing any scheme to separate Taiwan from China."

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