Since December 1975, on the advice of Mao Zedong, the Politburo of the Central Committee has continued to meet to hear Deng Xiaoping's review. During this period, Deng remained in his original post for the time being, and deng xiaoping was specifically responsible for many important affairs of the Party Central Committee and the State Council (including Zhou Enlai's funeral work). At the same time, Mao Zedong also repeatedly prevented Jiang Qing and others from interfering in party and government work. On January 12, 1976, he proposed the printing of Deng Xiaoping's two written inspections and instructed that the matter be "temporarily confined to the politburo." (8) On the fifteenth day, Deng Xiaoping still attended the memorial service for Zhou Enlai and he delivered a eulogy, which became a very eye-catching public appearance of his at this time.
After the Politburo meeting on January 20, Deng Xiaoping sent a letter to Mao Zedong, again proposing to "dismiss me from my responsibility to preside over the daily work of the Central Committee." (9) He is well aware that in the present circumstances his situation has become increasingly difficult. The next morning, when listening to Mao Yuanxin's report on the Politburo meeting, Mao Zedong said: Deng Xiaoping is still a problem within the people, and if he is well guided, he can not go to the side of confrontation. He also said: "The issue of Xiaoping work will be discussed later." I would like to reduce the work, but not to leave the work, that is, not to be killed with a stick. (10) After that, Deng no longer presided over the work of the Central Committee.
In this case, there is an urgent need to identify a principal responsible person of the State Council. On this issue that concerns the overall situation, Mao Zedong, who was seriously ill, kept a sober mind. Zhang Yufeng recalled: "These days, when the chairman wakes up, he not only listens to the documents, but always wrenches his fingers and considers problems. He also asked me the names of the comrades of the Politburo, and I reported the names of the members of the Politburo at that time one by one. In mid-January, Mao Yuanxin came to see the chairman. He asked the Chairman what he was thinking about the selection of the Prime Minister. The chairman thought about it for a moment and said: To tell Wang Hongwen, Zhang Chunqiao let it go. Then the chairman took the hand to index the names of the comrades in the Politburo, and finally said that it was better for Hua Guofeng. Mao Yuanxin nodded and said yes. In this way, the chairman proposed that Hua be appointed acting premier and preside over the work of the Politburo. (1) Mao Zedong also said: "Just ask Hua Guofeng to take the lead, he thinks that he is a person with a low political level; Xiaoping is in charge of foreign affairs." ②”
Hua Guofeng's appointment as acting premier of the State Council is something that many people did not expect. Due to mao zedong's serious illness and the death of Zhou Enlai, this decision actually indicates that Hua Guofeng will preside over the daily work of the central government, which is naturally particularly eye-catching.
Hua Guofeng was 55 years old at the time and joined the Communist Party of China in 1938. When New China was founded, he went south with the army and went to Hunan to work, successively serving as the secretary of the county party committee, the prefectural party committee, and the secretary of the provincial party committee. During the Cultural Revolution, he served as the head of the Hunan Provincial Revolutionary Committee and the Hunan Provincial Military Region and the Guangzhou Military Region, and was transferred to the State Council Business Group in 1971, and later served as a member of the 10th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee, and a vice premier of the State Council and minister of public security. Before the "Cultural Revolution," Mao Zedong was familiar with Hua Guofeng because he often visited Hunan. During the Cultural Revolution, with the increase in opportunities to meet, the understanding of China also increased. He held that Hua Guofeng had both experience in grassroots work and in the provinces and the central authorities; he was honest and loyal, and was "fair and not stupid" in his work. He even said: "People say that he is low," so I will choose this one with low level." (3) "Mao Zedong's choice of Hua Guofeng may also have another unspoken consideration, that is, he felt that Hua was someone who could be accepted by all sides.
Hua Guofeng's position had not yet been formally appointed at this time. On January 24, Podnaraşi, Vice-President of the Romanian Council of State, passed away. The next day, Xinhua Broadcast a telegram of condolences jointly sent by Mao Zedong and Zhu De to the Luo leader, which at the end of the telegram should normally have the names of the jointly signed Leaders of the State Council, but the telegram did not appear. (4) A large number of daily work of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council also urgently need to be presided over, and it is not appropriate to delay it. In view of this situation, Mao Zedong formally proposed on the 28th that Hua Guofeng preside over the daily work of the Central Committee. On the 31st, Mao Yuanxin's report to Mao Zedong's request for instructions said: I have talked with Wang Hongwen and Zhang Chunqiao and conveyed the chairman's instructions on the work arrangements of Hua Guofeng and Chen Xilian, and they have expressed their full support and guaranteed their support. This matter may be conveyed to the Central Party, Government and Military Departments by special personnel designated by the Politburo. After reading it, Mao Zedong gave instructions: "Agree." We should also talk to Comrade Xiaoping. ”⑤
On February 2, the CPC Central Committee issued a circular: First, at the suggestion of Chairman Mao, the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee unanimously approved that Hua Guofeng should be appointed acting premier of the State Council; second, at Chairman Mao's proposal, the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee unanimously approved that Chen Xilian would be responsible for presiding over the work of the Central Military Commission during Ye Jianying's illness. ⑥
Regarding Mao Zedong's decision, Jiang Qing and others verbally expressed "complete support" but were actually extremely dissatisfied in their hearts. They had hoped that after the overthrow of Deng Xiaoping, Wang Hongwen would re-preside over the daily work of the Central Committee and Zhang Chunqiao would preside over the work of the State Council. They have begun to prepare in this regard and believe that there is considerable certainty. Shortly after Zhou Enlai's death, a large slogan "calling" for Zhang Chunqiao to become premier appeared in Shanghai, under the control of the "Gang of Four", which was criticized by Mao Zedong. In late January, Wang Hongwen, who ranked second only to Mao Zedong among the leaders of the Central Committee, privately prepared a draft speech at a meeting of the Central Committee to "greet" the Central Committee, intending to make a report at the meeting as the host of the central government's daily work, but mao Zedong's january 28 proposal was frustrated. These two events were a heavy blow to the Gang of Four. On February 3, Zhang Chunqiao privately wrote a "feeling of feeling," in which he used language such as "More rampant ambitions" and "coming fast, coming fiercely, and collapsing quickly" to curse Deng Xiaoping, who was no longer in charge of the daily work of the central government, and also contained dissatisfaction with Hua Guofeng. (7) On February 7, Hua Guofeng came forward for the first time as acting premier of the State Council to receive foreign envoys in China. A few days later, in response to overseas claims that "[China's] economic work is a truth-seeking faction," Yao Wenyuan asked discontentedly in his diary: "When will economic work be led by true Marxists?" (8) Apparently, the Gang of Four believed that Hua Guofeng, chosen by Mao Zedong, was not "his own man" and resented that he himself had not achieved a dominant position in the leadership of the Party and the state.