The Foreign Service Journal, May 2005

this has something to do with the liberation of thought following the Cultural Revolution. I thought I had made no mistake, so why should I do a self-criticism? As soon as I did a self-criticism, it would be impossible to make clear the reality” (p. 576). Zhao had one more chance to observe “organiza- tional discipline” at the Fourth Plenum in June. Zhao found himself urged not to speak, or to say a few words of self-criticism. Yao Yilin chaired the meeting, and said to Zhao, “Don’t speak, OK?” But Zhao had pre- pared a draft of a speech, and he insisted on his right to speak. Yao allotted him 15 minutes to talk. Zhao took 20. He noted, “They were very unhappy with my talk.” Because of his talk, he lost his position on the Central Committee. The plenary session resumed the next day, and Zhao did not raise his hand in support of the orga- nizational handling of his problem. He told the plenum, “I could vote for not being general secretary, but to say that I split the party and supported turmoil — this I cannot accept” (p. 577). Mikhail Bulgakov once wrote that “manuscripts don’t burn.” Zhao Ziyang’s remains were interred on Jan. 29, but his words remind us of the unfinished his- torical reckoning of events 16 years ago. In those 16 years, China’s economy has surged and its society has changed profoundly, leading many to believe that the unpleasant events of Tiananmen Square can be buried along with Zhao’s ashes. Perhaps they are right. Certainly there is no great desire in Beijing to carry out political reform at the moment. But the CCP knows that to remain viable, it must change to cope with China’s ever-pluralizing society, devise new and more democratic ways of selecting party cadres, and create new institutions. As part of that process, at some point, the conversations about the way the state relates to society, which unfolded in such dramatic fashion 16 years ago, will need to be resumed. And when they are, Zhao’s words will be a starting point for rethinking China’s contemporary history. ■ F O C U S M A Y 2 0 0 5 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 53