Chinese Communist Party Secretary-General Zhao Ziyang addresses pro-democracy student hunger strikes in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, on May 19, 1989.

The size and timing of the event were unclear, as was how widely it would be covered by Xinhua news agency and state newspapers, which have played down his death for fear of sparking a popular outpouring of sentiment or even protests.

"Comrade Zhao Ziyang is an old member of our party. His funeral arrangements will be handled accordingly," said an official in the Cabinet spokesman's office.

State television and radio have ignored the death of the former reformist premier and party chief, who promoted the reforms that ensured China's transformation into a fledgling economic powerhouse but who was toppled in a power struggle.

Zhao, who died Jan. 17 at age 85, was ousted for opposing a decision to use troops and tanks to clear Tiananmen Square of protesters on June 3-4, 1989. He spent the final 15 years of his life under house arrest in his Beijing home.

The Japan Times Weekly: Jan. 29, 2005
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