", ▁Hu ▁would ▁be ▁further ▁den ounced . ▁Premier ▁Z ha o ▁Z iy ang ▁was ▁made ▁General ▁Secretary ▁and ▁Li ▁P eng , ▁a ▁sta unch ▁conserv ative ▁who ▁was ▁un pop ular ▁with ▁the ▁masses , ▁formerly ▁Vice ▁Premier ▁and ▁Minister ▁of ▁Electric ▁Power ▁and ▁Water ▁Conserv ancy , ▁was ▁made ▁Premier . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁Party ▁Congress ▁of ▁the ▁C CP ▁in ▁October – Nov ember ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁D eng ▁X ia op ing ▁and ▁remaining ▁Party ▁el ders ▁formally ▁stepped ▁down ▁from ▁power . ▁This ▁included ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁hard - lin er ▁Ma o ists ▁who ▁had ▁resist ed ▁D eng ' s ▁policies , ▁including ▁Chen ▁Y un ▁and ▁Li ▁X ian nan . ▁The ▁new ▁leadership ▁of ▁the ▁Central ▁Committee ▁aver aged ▁ 5 . 5 ▁years ▁younger , ▁and ▁more ▁than ▁ 7 0 % ▁were ▁college ▁educated . ▁However , ▁even ▁with ▁the ▁ret irement ▁of ▁the ▁aged ▁Long ▁March ▁veter ans , ▁they ▁still ▁retained ▁considerable ▁political ▁pull ▁behind ▁the ▁scenes , ▁and ▁one ▁compla int ▁of ▁the ▁student ▁demonstr ators ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁was ▁the ▁continued ▁political ▁influence ▁ex ert ed ▁by ▁party ▁officials ▁who ▁were ▁supposed ▁to ▁be ▁retired . ▁It ▁was ▁spec ulated ▁that ▁the ▁appointment ▁of ▁Li ▁P eng , ▁a ▁known ▁political ▁hard lin er , ▁as ▁premier ▁was ▁a ▁con cess ion ▁to ▁D eng ▁X ia op ing ' s ▁oppon ents . ▁The ▁major