Deng’s return may also give new impetus to flagging reforms. Last week the long-delayed Communist Party Central Committee plenum began to discuss the country’s next Five Year Plan. Chinese and Western sources say the meeting has been stalemated by a struggle between proponents of Deng’s market-oriented programs and hard-liners pressing for a return to central planning. Although Deng’s political career ostensibly ended with his 1989 retirement, he is still believed to wield significant influence over major policy decisions. “The fact that he’s still around is seen by many as a reassuring symbol,” says one Western diplomat. If Deng is more than just “around,” but actually cognizant, he would undoubtedly be a boon to those seeking to invoke his considerable legacy.
