Mao's widow implicated by fellow 'gang' member

November 25, 1980

A member of the "gang of four" implicated Mao Tse-tung's widow and another member of her clique in testimony before a court trying him on a charge of trying to frame the late Premier Chou En-lai and Deng Xiaoping. Asked whether he falsely accused Mr. Chou and Mr. Deng of plotting to seize power, Wang Hongwen said: "Yes, I said it . . . . But those were the words of Jiang Qing."

Mr. Deng was blamed for the demonstration and rioting that broke out when authorities, then controlled by the gang of four, removal flowers placed at the martyrs' monument on Tien An Men square in honor of Premier Chou. The incident was used to purge Mr. Deng for a second time since the outbreak of the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution.