o ▁Z iy ang . ▁In ▁contrast ▁to ▁previous ▁leadership ▁changes , ▁H ua ▁would ▁res ign ▁his ▁posts ▁one ▁by ▁one , ▁although ▁he ▁remained ▁on ▁the ▁Polit b uro ▁until ▁ 1 9 8 2 . ▁H ua ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁Z ha o ▁Z iy ang ▁as ▁Premier ▁of ▁the ▁State ▁Council ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁and ▁by ▁Hu ▁Ya ob ang ▁as ▁Party ▁General ▁Secretary ▁of ▁the ▁party ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 8 2 . ▁The ▁post ▁of ▁chairman ▁was ▁abol ished ▁to ▁ensure ▁that ▁no ▁one ▁person ▁could ▁ever ▁domin ate ▁the ▁party ▁as ▁Ma o ▁Z ed ong ▁had ▁done . ▁Until ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 9 0 s , ▁D eng ▁X ia op ing ▁was ▁China ' s ▁de ▁fact o ▁Param ount ▁leader , ▁retain ing ▁only ▁the ▁official ▁title ▁of ▁Chair man ▁of ▁the ▁Central ▁Military ▁Commission , ▁but ▁not ▁the ▁chief ▁offices ▁of ▁the ▁State , ▁government , ▁or ▁the ▁Party . ▁Meanwhile , ▁Li ▁X ian n ian ▁was ▁appointed ▁to ▁the ▁post ▁of ▁Chinese ▁President , ▁vac ant ▁since ▁ 1 9 6 8 . ▁Li ▁was ▁a ▁bel ie ver ▁in ▁central ▁planning , ▁and ▁his ▁appointment ▁to ▁this ▁largely ▁cer emon ial ▁position ▁was ▁a ▁comprom ise ▁move ▁to ▁appe ase ▁conserv ative ▁elements ▁in ▁the ▁party . ▁ ▁With ▁changes ▁to ▁the ▁Chinese ▁Constitution ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁the ▁President ▁was ▁conce ived ▁of ▁as ▁a ▁" figure