According to media reports, authorities are trying to scale down the commemorative activities, cancelling those planned for the Hunan village where Hu Yaobang was born, and proposing to invite just 300 people to a low-key seminar on Friday instead of holding a 2,000-strong gathering on next Sunday's anniversary as planned.

The scaling down of events may be a last-minute compromise with the hardliners, who are worried that high-profile commemorations could lead to unrest.

While this may disappoint some of Hu Yaobang's supporters, the fact that such officially sanctioned activities will take place at all carries significant implications.

For one, Hu Jintao's decision to overcome political opposition to honour Hu Yaobang offers a rare glimpse of his leadership character in tackling tough political matters, and is a sign that he is firmly in control.

Second, it sends a subtle message that the mainland leadership wants to pursue political reforms, but the secrecy and controversy surrounding the activities also suggests the pace will be slow.

Hu Jintao reportedly overcame resistance by insisting that Hu Yaobang's death had nothing to do with the Tiananmen protests. This suggests that any move to reassess the Tiananmen crack-down is still a long way off.

While many analysts have pointed out that rehabilitating Hu Yaobang would help burnish Hu Jintao's image, the move also serves as a rallying point for many disgruntled party members and academics.

Mainstream official media has so far maintained the same silence over Hu Yaobang as it has for the past 16 years, but his supporters have already published articles in several academic magazines and built online memorials to honour him.

In the latest issue of Yanhuang Chunqiu, a monthly magazine supported by party liberals, Tian Jiyun , former deputy National People's Congress chairman and a former vice-premier, called Hu Yaobang 'the conscience' of the Communist Party.

Mr Tian said he advocated not only economic reforms, but also political reforms, describing the period during which Hu Yaobang was the party chief as one of the best in the history of the Communist Party.

In a separate article, Zhu Houze, propaganda minister under Hu Yaobang, was even more straightforward, saying Hu Yaobang introduced 'sunshine politics' and fought against 'autocratic politics' in the Chinese government by encouraging debate, discussion and dialogue.

For officials and ordinary Chinese alike, Hu Yaobang is best remembered for his political courage and determination to rehabilitate millions of Chinese, including former top party officials and intellectuals purged in the political campaigns of the 1950s and 1960s.

That helped unite the party and set the stage for China's opening up and economic reforms.