Editing Hu Yaobang (section)

===Controversial political opinions===
Hu was notable for his liberalism and the frank expression of his opinions, which sometimes agitated other senior Chinese leaders. On a trip to [[Inner Mongolia]] in 1984, Hu publicly suggested that Chinese people might start eating in a Western way (with forks and knives, on individual plates) in order to prevent communicable diseases. He was one of the first Chinese officials to abandon wearing a [[Mao suit]] in favor of Western business suits. When asked which of [[Maoism|Mao Zedong's theories]] were desirable for modern China, he reportedly replied "I think, none".<ref name="Kristof1">Kristof 1</ref>

Hu was not prepared to abandon Marxism completely, but frankly expressed the opinion that Communism could not solve "all of mankind's problems". Hu encouraged intellectuals to raise controversial subjects in the media, including democracy, human rights, and the possibility of introducing legal limits to the Communist Party's influence within the Chinese government. Many party elders mistrusted Hu from the start and eventually grew to fear his influence.<ref name="lee312" /> The ire of some of the [[Eight Elders]] ultimately contributed to his forced resignation from the post of general secretary.<ref name=":Hirata">{{Cite book |last=Hirata |first=Koji |title=Making Mao's Steelworks: Industrial Manchuria and the Transnational Origins of Chinese Socialism |date=2024 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=978-1-009-38227-4 |series=Cambridge Studies in the History of the People's Republic of China series |location=New York, NY}}</ref>{{Rp|pages=276-277}}

Hu made sincere efforts to repair [[China–Japan relations|Sino-Japanese relations]], but was criticized for the scope of his efforts. In 1984, when Beijing recognized the twelfth anniversary of Japan's diplomatic recognition of the People's Republic, Hu invited 3,000 Japanese youth to Beijing, and arranged for them to tour Shanghai, [[Hangzhou]], [[Nanjing]], [[Wuhan]], and [[Xi'an]]. Many senior officials considered Hu's efforts extravagant, since Japan had only invited 500 Chinese youths to Japan the previous year. Hu was criticized internally for the lavish gifts that he gave to visiting Japanese officials, and for allowing his daughter to privately accompany Japanese prime minister [[Yasuhiro Nakasone|Nakasone]]'s son when they visited Beijing. Hu defended his actions by citing the importance of strong Sino-Japanese relations, and his belief that the atrocities committed by Japan in China during [[World War II]] were the actions of military warlords, and not ordinary citizens.<ref>Lee 311–312</ref>

Hu alienated potential allies within the People's Liberation Army when he suggested for two consecutive years that the Chinese defense budget should be reduced, and senior military leaders began to criticize him. Military officials accused Hu of making poor choices when purchasing military hardware from Australia in 1985. When Hu visited Britain, military officials criticized him for drinking soup too loudly during a banquet hosted by Queen [[Elizabeth II]].<ref name="lee313-314">Lee 313–314</ref>

Zhao and Hu began a large-scale anti-corruption programme, and permitted the investigations of the children of high-ranking Party elders, who had grown up protected by their parents' influence. Hu's investigation of Party officials belonging to this "[[Crown Prince Party]]" made Hu unpopular with many powerful Party officials.<ref name="independent" /> After Deng refused to support some of Hu's reforms, Hu made private comments critical of [[Deng Xiaoping]] for his indecisiveness and "old-fashioned" way of thinking, opinions of which Deng eventually became aware.<ref name="Lee314">Lee 314</ref>