Bao Tong

Bao Tong (5 November 1932 – 9 November 2022) was a Chinese writer and activist. He was former Director of the Office of Political Reform of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Policy Secretary of Zhao Ziyang, Chinese Premier from 1980 to 1987 and CPC General Secretary from 1987 to 1989. He was also Director of the Drafting Committee for the CPC 13th Party Congresses, known for its strong support for market reform and opening up under Deng Xiaoping.

Chinese ex-official Bao Tong at home (cropped), 2008

Quotes

• We must correct all of Deng Xiaoping's mistakes. This is the only way to truly uphold Deng Xiaoping's vision. This is what it truly means to carry on Deng Xiaoping's work. Only when they acknowledge his mistakes and correct his mistakes can they stand taller than Deng Xiaoping. Otherwise they have no right to call themselves Deng Xiaoping's successors. They can only call themselves the successors of Deng Xiaoping's mistakes.
  • On CPC leadership, "Former Community Party official: Last decade 'wasted'". Rebecca McKinnon. CNN. June 2, 1999.

• [His] life formed part of a heroic and mighty task, that of pioneering the protection of human rights and democracy for the Chinese people... To mourn Zhao is to defend human rights. To mourn Zhao is to pursue democracy and the rule of law.
  • On mourning Zhao Ziyang, "China in Focus #1". asiaamerica.org. January 20, 2005. Archived from the original on May 23, 2006.

• The tainted milk scandal shows us that the more dark secrets are exposed, the better. You can't cure the disease, or save the Chinese people, until you get to the root of the problem." "If the Chinese government tries to play down this incident, there will be no social stability in China, let alone harmony... It will mean that this government has lost the most basic level of trust.
  • On the 2008 Chinese milk scandal, "Uproar Over China Milk Scandal". Radio Free Asia. September 23, 2008.

• Mao had died 13 years earlier. This gave China the chance to develop differently. And China had taken a different path in the 13 years since Mao's death. The students wanted the shadow of Mao to be left entirely behind so that China could become a democracy and corruption be ended. So the Chinese would have a better life and more freedom. [19] Officially, it was said that a riot had to be prevented. The army was supposed to restore peace and order. But there was no turmoil. The only problem was that Deng disagreed with the students. [19] At first, I thought Deng Xiaoping only wanted to intimidate the students and civilians with the army. I never would have believed that he - a Communist Party member who described himself as a revolutionary - would actually order to shoot. Soldiers from your own army shooting at students! That is incredible. "
  • On the suppression of the student protests in 1989, from an ARD interview with Bao Tong, 2014 [1]

• The CCP ’s Party Constitution "states that there is something called Deng Xiaoping Theory. For political needs, it is a game of the Communist Party to enclose the party chiefs as" theorists, but in fact There is no "Deng Xiaoping Theory", just as there is no "Qin Shihuang Theory" in the world. Qin Shihuang did not rely on theory to establish centralized power, nor did Deng Xiaoping. He relied on Mao Zedong's power for the Communist Party to create a "Deng Xiaoping Road" that allowed China to enter The abyss of corruption. The difference is that few people extol the burning of Confucianism, but the "Deng Xiaoping Road" is endlessly fragrant, and the worshippers praise it all the way."
  • Deng Xiaoping's Road and Corruption in China. The New York Times Chinese Website. June 3 2015 (Chinese (Simplified)). http://cn.nytimes.com/opinion/20150603/cc03bao/