CHINA will continue to pursue "socialist reforms" despite the death of the paramount leader, Deng Xiaoping, President Jiang Zemin said yesterday.
Mr Jiang made the comments during meetings with the Kazakhstani President and a Vietnamese communist party committee member.
He said: "The Chinese Communist Party, the army and the people of various ethnic groups across the country are determined to turn grief into strength, hold high the great banner of Deng's theory to build socialism with Chinese characteristics".
They would "unite and continue the great cause of socialist reforms, opening up and the modernisation drive", he added.
Mr Jiang, widely seen as the patriarch's anointed heir, said that Deng was "a great Marxist, proletarian revolutionary, statesman, military strategist and diplomat, as well as a long tested Communist soldier, the chief architect of China's socialist reform, `opening up' and modernisation drive".
Since Deng's death the Foreign Minister, Mr Qian Qichen, has told visiting dignatories that China intends to follow reforms, but for the first time Mr Jiang added the prefix "socialist" to reforms.
Meanwhile, yesterday's Washington Times said it had obtained a copy of a CIA report prepared in June and labeled "top secret" which questioned Mr Jiang's hold on power. It quoted a US government official as saying that Mr Jiang had shown "remarkable staying power" but the real test of his skills would come at the country's 15th party congress in October.
The CIA report says at least seven rivals were "trying to limit his power" in advance of that meeting.
"Jiang's inability to consolidate his power means he will remain focused on domestic issues and is unlikely to initiate any steps to improve relations with the US or Taiwan that could spark international criticism," the report was quoted as saying.
Yesterday in the southern Chinese model town of Shenzhen and surrounding areas security was heightened as thousands visited a makeshift memorial to Deng. Troops and police guarded key installations in the special economic zone bordering Hong Kong.
There was a marked increase in security at the city border crossing with the British colony as well as at the central railway station and airport. More than 200 public security bureau officers were posted around the shrine - a billboard carrying a huge image of Deng paying tribute to his policy of launching this and four other model economic zones. Hundreds of wreaths and bouquets have been placed at the base of the billboard. Some of the mourners cried and many were visibly shaken as they left the scene.
According to sources close to, the People's Liberation Army, China's military has been placed on high alert and all troops ordered to return to barracks.
A senior police official said executions of criminals would not take place during the six days of mourning.
China's official press has highlighted Deng's last wishes for a simple funeral, that will be a far cry from the ostentatious last rites accorded to Mao Zedong. In a front page report, the People's Daily ran the full text of the letter - dated February 15th, four days before Deng's death - from the leader's family to Mr Jiang and the Communist Party.
"As a complete materialist, Deng Xiaoping always had a philosophical view of life and death and talked many times with us about his own funereal affairs," the letter said.
The family then made a strong appeal to the authorities to respect Deng's wish to avoid "a farewell ceremony for his remains" as he "always believed in simple and frugal funerals".