
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, March 22, 1990                   TAG: 9003221921
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Los Angeles Times
DATELINE: BEIJING                                 LENGTH: Medium

DENG QUITS POST TO BOOST JAING

Senior leader Deng Xiaoping formally stepped down Wednesday as head of the state Central Military Commission, thereby taking another step designed to help Communist Party General Secretary Jiang Zemin consolidate power as his designated successor.

Deng's resignation, formally accepted Wednesday by the National People's Congress, had been expected since last November, when he stepped down from the more powerful post of head of the Communist Party's Central Military Commission. When Deng, 85, gave up that post, which is traditionally the most powerful post in China, he was immediately replaced by Jiang, 63.

The two commissions have largely overlapping membership and are believed to function virtually as a single body, so it was widely assumed that Jiang will also replace Deng on the state commission.

Such governmental appointments are handled at annual sessions of the National People's Congress, China's nominal legislature, which acts according to party instructions.

But in recent weeks, the Hong Kong media reported on rumors that President Yang Shangkun, an army general who is first vice chairman of the party military commission and a potential rival to Jiang, might be appointed to head the state Central Military Commission.

Yang, 82, is believed to exercise greater influence over the military than Jiang, and such a step would be a serious blow to Jiang's attempts to solidify his own power base.

Monday, Yao Guang, the official spokesman of the National People's Congress, strongly indicated that Jiang will indeed be confirmed to replace Deng on the state commission.

by CNB