ABSTRACT
After the death of Mao on September 9, 1976, the Chinese political system experienced a very serious crisis. Mao had highly personalized political power in China and consequently it was he who was the authority which held the political power rather than the Communist Party. His successor and protégé Hua Gofeng was not able to fill this vacuum. This has introduced on one side a period of instability into Chinese politics, but on the other side it has represented an opportunity for the reformist forces within the Communist Party.
