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==Official censorship and rehabilitation== ===Media censorship=== The [[1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre|Tiananmen Square protests of 1989]] eventually ended in the violent suppression of protesters on 4 June 1989, in which numerous civilians were killed. Because the protests had been sparked by the death of Hu Yaobang, the government determined that any public discussion of Hu and his legacy could destabilize China by renewing debate about the political reforms that Hu supported. Because of the public association with Hu and the Tiananmen Square protests, Hu Yaobang's name became taboo on the mainland, and the Chinese government is careful to mention him in the media.<ref name="Pan">Pan</ref> In one example of government censorship, printed media which commemorated the anniversary of his death in 1994 were withdrawn from publication. ===Official rehabilitation=== [[File:Hu Yaobang's Former Residence 041.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Hu's Statue in his hometown [[Liuyang]]]] [[Hu Jintao]] announced plans to rehabilitate Hu Yaobang in August 2005, with events organised for 20 November, the 90th anniversary of Hu's birth. Ceremonies were planned in Beijing, where Hu died, in Hunan, where Hu was born, and in [[Jiujiang]], where Hu was buried. Western observers noted that the move to rehabilitate Hu Yaobang may have been part of a broader political effort by Hu Jintao to gain support from reform-minded colleagues, who had always respected Hu Yaobang.<ref name="Pan" /> Some political analysts have argued that Hu Jintao's administration wished to be associated with Hu Yaobang. Both Hu's (no relation) rose to power through the [[Communist Youth League of China|Communist Youth League]], and have been described as part of the same [[Tuanpai|"Youth League Clique"]]. Hu Yaobang's support was partially responsible for Hu Jintao's rapid promotion during the 1980s.<ref>Nathan & Gilley 80</ref> Some observers noted that Hu Yaobang's rehabilitation made it more likely that the Party would be willing to re-evaluate the 1989 Tiananmen protests, but other observers expressed skepticism. Memorials with the purpose of recognizing the date of someone's birth or death are often signs of political trends within China, with some pointing to the prospect of further reform. Skeptics noted that Hu Jintao made a statement praising the governments of [[Cuba]] and [[North Korea]] (in spite of their economic "flaws") shortly after announcing Hu Yaobang's public commemoration, implying that it would be unlikely that the party would pursue a dramatic programme of political reform in the near future.<ref name="Pan" /> On 18 November 2005, the Communist Party officially celebrated the 90th anniversary of Hu Yaobang's birth with activities at the People's Hall (the date was changed to two days before it was officially scheduled). Around 350 people attended, including premier [[Wen Jiabao]], [[Vice President of the People's Republic of China|vice president]] [[Zeng Qinghong]], and numerous other Party officials, celebrities, and members of Hu Yaobang's family.<ref name="Xinhua">''[[Xinhua]]''</ref> It was rumored that Hu Jintao wanted to attend, but was prevented from doing so by other senior members of the Party who still disliked Hu Yaobang. Wen was not given the opportunity to talk, and Zeng Qinghong was the most senior Party member to speak.<ref name="Wu" /> In his speech, Zeng said that members should learn from Hu's merits, especially his frankness and genuine concern for the Chinese people. Zeng stated that Hu had "contributed all his life and built immortal merits for the liberation and happiness of the Chinese people ... His historic achievements and moral character will always be remembered by the Party and our people."<ref name="Xinhua" /> ===In the media after 2005=== The official three-volume biography and a collection of Hu's writings were slated for release in China. The project was originally begun by a group of Hu's former aides, led by [[Zhang Liqun]] (who died in 2003). After the government learned of the project, it insisted on taking control of it. One of the main issues that government censors identified was the concern that details of Hu's relationship with Deng Xiaoping (especially details of Hu's removal from power after resisting orders to crack down on student demonstrators in 1987) would reflect poorly on Deng's legacy. The authors of Hu's biography subsequently rejected offers from the government to release a censored version.<ref name="Pan" /> Only one volume (dealing with events up to the end of the Cultural Revolution) of the biography written by Hu's former aides was eventually published, with the other two volumes held by the government and remaining unpublished.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}} Although magazines publishing commemorative articles were initially stopped from being released, the ban was lifted in 2005 and these magazines were publicly issued. ''[[Yanhuang Chunqiu]]'', a reform-minded magazine, was allowed to publish a series of articles in 2005 commemorating the birthday of Hu Yaobang, but the government acted to limit the availability of the magazine. The issue commemorating Hu sold 50,000 copies, but the remaining 5,000 copies were destroyed by propaganda officials.<ref>Fan 1</ref> This was the first time since his death that Hu's name appeared publicly.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}} In April 2010 (the 21st anniversary of Hu's death), Chinese Premier [[Wen Jiabao]] wrote an article in the ''[[People's Daily]]'' titled "Recalling Hu Yaobang when I return to Xingyi".<ref>Wen</ref> Presented as an essay, it recollected an investigation of ordinary people's lives by Hu Yaobang and Wen Jiabao in [[Xingyi, Guizhou|Xingyi County]], Guizhou, in 1986. Wen, who worked with Hu from 1985 to 1987, praised Hu's "superior working style of being totally devoted to the suffering of the masses", and his "lofty morality and openness [of character]". Wen's essay elicited an enthusiastic reaction in Chinese-language websites, generating over 20,000 responses on [[Sina.com]] on the day the article appeared.<ref>Lam</ref> The article was interpreted by observers familiar with the Chinese political system as a confirmation by Wen that he was a protégé of Hu, rather than Zhao Ziyang.<ref name="Wu" /> On 20 November 2015, the 100th Anniversary of the birth of Hu Yaobang, Communist Party General Secretary [[Xi Jinping]] held a high-profile commemoration ceremony for Hu Yaobang in Beijing. In contrast to the event held by the previous leadership ten years earlier, the 100th anniversary event was deliberately high-profile and attended by all members of the [[Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party|Politburo Standing Committee]]. Xi lavished Hu with praise for his accomplishments, and said that Hu "dedicated his life to the party and to the people. His led a glorious life, a life of struggle ... his contributions will shine in history."<ref name="duowei">{{cite news|script-title=zh:习近平纪念胡耀邦诞辰100周年讲话(全文)|language=zh-hans |url=http://news.dwnews.com/china/news/2015-11-20/59697330.html|work=Duowei|date=20 November 2015}}</ref> Hu appeared as a character in the 2015 historical drama ''[[Deng Xiaoping at History's Crossroads]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-08-20 |title=TV Biopic On Deng Xiaoping Stirs Controversy In China |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/china-weibo-censorship-tv-show_n_5691771 |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}</ref>
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