Chinese Political History II: Chapter 3, Exercise 1 — Possible Solution
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TASK
Using the Chapter 2 structure, explain why the martial-law decision could
not be treated as an ordinary Standing Committee vote, and say what the
reported 17 May split implies about who held decisive power.

ANSWER

FROM CHAPTER 2
The Politburo Standing Committee is the body that decides major matters
when the Politburo is not in session, and the formal chain runs from the
Congress to the Central Committee to the Politburo to the Standing
Committee.

WHY IT WAS NOT ORDINARY
Reported split on 17 May: Li Peng and Yao Yilin for martial law; Zhao Ziyang
and Hu Qili against; Qiao Shi abstaining. With two for, two against and one
abstention, the committee could not decide by its own vote.

WHAT IT IMPLIES
Deng Xiaoping (chairman of the Central Military Commission) and Yang
Shangkun (vice chairman) were brought in and sided with Li Peng. So the
outcome was settled by two men whose formal posts were military and who
were not on the Standing Committee. Decisive power sat with them, not with
the committee.

CAUTION
This depends on accounts from Zhao's memoir and other sources that cannot
be checked against original records, so present it as reported.