China Leader Hua Guofeng Dies Today At Age 87

By: John Alexander
Executive Director

Hua Guofeng, the communist leader who ruled China shortly as the Communist Party Chairman after Mao Zedong’s death in 1976, died today at the age of 87 in Beijing.

Hua Guofeng was famous for his “Two Whatever’s” campaign, which directed the Party to:

   1. Uphold whatever policy decision Mao had previously made.
   2. Adhere to whatever instructions Mao had given.

The “Two Whatever’s” campaign was widely criticized by Deng Xiaoping at the 3rd Plenum of the 11th Central Committee in 1978 and ultimately used to push Hua out of power, giving rise to the reign of reformers led by Deng.

Before Mao died, he was notoriously quoted as saying of Hua; “With you in charge, I am at ease”. In an attempt to create his own cult of personality, Hua attempted to mimic Mao, affecting his same hair style, mode of dress, and mannerisms.

Before being ousted from power, Hua Guofeng famously arrested the “Gang of Four”, the group that led China through the Cultural Revolution and included Mao’s wife Jiang Qing.

Hua was notable for being one of the first Chinese leaders not to be purged, killed, or banished to a distant province upon his fall from power. He remained a member of the Communist Party’s Central Committee until 2002. China’s state-run News Agency hailed him as a “loyal communist warrior”.

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August 20, 2008 | Filed Under China | Leave a Comment