State media offer rare praise for reformer Hu Yaobang
Ex-Communist Party chief who was purged in 1987 and whose death in 1989 sparked the Tiananmen protests is commemorated by state media
The mainland mourned late reformist leader Hu Yaobang yesterday on the 24th anniversary of his death - the first time he has been commemorated under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, whose father was his ally.
A party newspaper and state news websites published articles commemorating him, and ordinary citizens turned up at his former home to pay tribute.
The former Communist Party chief, who was purged in 1987, remains a relatively sensitive figure as his sudden death in 1989 sparked commemorative activities that later turned into the Tiananmen pro-democracy movement. The protests ended in the bloody June 4 crackdown.
Hu was an ally of Xi Zhongxun , late father of Xi Jinping, and a respected communist revolutionary. When Hu was forced by conservative party elders to resign for condoning widespread student protests the year before, the elder Xi stood by him.
Since Xi Jinping assumed power as party chief in November, there has been speculation over whether he will follow in his father's footsteps and embrace liberal reforms. Analysts say that by showing affection for Hu, people were hoping for signs of Xi's support for reform.
Hu was fondly remembered by many for spearheading economic and political reforms, as well as his rehabilitation of hundreds of thousands wrongly persecuted during the Cultural Revolution, including the elder Xi.