SENIOR cadres are visiting the prosperous coast to push Beijing's policies and to lobby for support for their own political careers. And for the first time since 1949, regional cadres have openly asserted their right to formulate local policies. Politburo members including Mr Zhu Rongji, Mr Zou Jiahua, Mr Tian Jiyun and Mr Li Tieying have toured the southeast coast in the past fortnight. The central-level leaders reiterated the imperative of toeing the Beijing line specially on cooling the economy and stopping ''over-ambitious projects''. For example, Vice-Premier Mr Zou, who is considered a cautious reformer, warned cadres in Jiangsu province against unrealistic targets. ''We must strengthen macro-level regulations and control and pay attention to comprehensive balance [in the economy],'' national papers yesterday quoted Mr Zou as saying. ''On development speed, one must not [unrealistically try to] catch up with the others. We must be realistic and act according to our ability.'' Analysts said that while in Beijing, reformist cadres such as Vice-Premiers Mr Zhu and Mr Tian tended to echo the general line about being ''cautious'' and ''balanced'' in development, they usually made more liberal statements in the regions. While inspecting Wenzhou, a ''quasi-capitalistic'' enclave in Zhejiang province earlier this week, Mr Zhu supported the city's high-growth rate as well as its experiments with the stocks system. ''Since the reform and open door policy, Wenzhou has achieved major progress and the economy there has expanded by 10 times,'' Mr Zhu said. ''Wenzhou's achievements in reform are obvious.'' While touring Shenzhen, Politburo member Mr Li, generally identified as a ''moderate'', encouraged local officials to ''continue to make bold experiments and bold reforms''. The national media has not disclosed talks given by Mr Tian while he was touring Guangdong the past week. Chinese sources said the out-going Vice-Premier, who would shortly be appointed Vice-Chairman of the National People's Congress, was unrestrained in urging local Guangdong cadres to integrate their economies with Hongkong and the West. The sources said Mr Zhu and Mr Tian wanted to secure the support of regional cadres in their efforts to throw aside central planning-oriented bureaucrats in Beijing. Meanwhile, local leaders including the Guangzhou party secretary Mr Gao Qiren and his Shenzhen counterpart Mr Li Hao, have displayed unprecedented boldness in bucking central edicts.
