ABSTRACT
New Leadership and Uncertain Policy At the end of the conference, Du Runsheng reported to the Politburo on behalf of the conference. Li Xiannian, Hu Yaobang, Deng Xiaoping, Hua Guofeng, Wang Renzhong, and Yu Qiuli were present. The attitude of each talk was basically negative and against baochan daohu. On agricultural issues, the current policy they have been deploying has produced great effects and resulted in faster agricultural development than what they are originally anticipated. In detailing implementation of the production-linked systems, Zhou praised all the systems, but especially household contracting. In his discussion of baochan daohu, he emphasized that poor backward villages, which struggled to achieve even simple production, demanded the household system. The standard scholarly interpretation of Wan Li's promotion to the Center to oversee agriculture is that this was a reward for his role in promoting rural reform in Anhui, notably including baochan daohu, and a move to promote the reform agenda as central policy.
