The known liberal was a friend of student protesters in Tiananmen. By appointing him Hu Jintao makes a conciliatory gesture towards the whole party, but also picks someone with ties with Taiwan’s Kuomintang.

Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Chinese President Hu Jintao has asked Yan Mingfu, a party member disgraced after the Tiananmen Square massacre, to become the mainland’s chief negotiator with Taiwan. The 76-year-old known for his liberal views was an aide to then party boss Zhao Ziyang. Both were ousted for showing too much sympathy to the movement of workers and students that had taken over Tiananmen Square and was crushed on the night of June 4, 1989.

Partially rehabilitated in 1998 when he was elected president of the China Charity Federation, Yan in the 1980s worked closely with current Premier Wen Jiabao, then director of the party's General Office under Zhao Ziyang, and Hu Jintao, who was party boss in Tibet where he led a bloody crackdown in early 1989.

It is probable that Yan, who is strongly pro-democracy, will accept the post.

For some observers, the move to co-opt Yan Mingfu is a sign that Hu Jintao wants to give more space to liberals inside the party and make some conciliatory gestures on the Tiananmen issue.

Yan is also well-placed as a negotiator with Taiwan. His family has maintained friendly ties with Kuomintang officials in the Taiwanese army, economy and politics.

He should replace Wang Daohan who died two years ago.

In his opening speech at the 17th party congress, Mr Hu used a restrained tone vis-à-vis Taiwan, calling for peaceful dialogue but reiterating the mainland’s one condition, namely its ‘one China policy’ against any demand by the ‘rebel’ island for independence.

The dialogue between the mainland and Taiwan peaked in the 1990s favouring Taiwanese investments in the mainland, family meetings on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and direct flights from Taiwan.

Talks were called off in 1999 after then Taiwanese president Lee Teng-hui proposed a “two states theory.”

The mainland wants instead the ‘return’ of Taiwan to the fatherland. For this reason it is seeking dialogue and co-operation whilst threatening the island with a thousand missiles. For the same reason, two years ago Beijing adopted an anti-session law that authorises the use of military force if Taiwan declares independence.

In the photo: Zhao Ziyang talks to students in Tiananmen Square (1989). On his left side, current Premier Wen Jiabao.

• china
• taiwan
• wen
• jiabao
• hu
• Jintao
• lee
• teng-hui
• wang
• daohanyan
• mingfu
• one
• china
• policy
• two
• states
• policy