Family requests simple funeral for patriarch

Senior Chinese leaders publicly pledged to press on with Deng Xiaoping's economic reforms yesterday as the patriarch's family asked for grief over his death to be expressed in the most simple way and his ashes be cast into the sea.

Leaders including Defence Minister General Chi Haotian, Secretary-General of the State Council Luo Gan and Foreign Minister Qian Qichen all promised to carry on with Mr Deng's reform programme.

In meetings with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Miguel Burelli in Beijing, both Mr Qian and Mr Luo vowed to carry on with Mr Deng's policies.

Mr Luo told his visitor: 'China will maintain its stable political atmosphere, rapid economic growth and secure society although Comrade Deng Xiaoping has passed away.' General Chi, visiting the Philippines, said: 'We have a common aspiration that we will carry on his cause.' A committee set up to handle Mr Deng's funeral announced that the ceremony would be held next Tuesday to mourn the leader who died on Wednesday evening of complications from Parkinson's disease and a lung infection.

Unlike Mao Zedong, who requested cremation but whose body was kept in a massive mausoleum in Tiananmen Square, Mr Deng will be cremated before a ceremony in the Great Hall of the People. He will not lie in state during the six-day mourning period.

In accordance with Mr Deng's last requests, his body is to be donated to science and the remains cremated.