Shore up party, rein in dissidents, Peking warns

China said the country faced economic and social chaos unless the leadership of the Communist Party was strengthened and cracked down on dissidents trying to topple the established order. The warning in the Communist Party newspaper People's Daily was the clearest signal to date of widespread unrest throughout China and of the leadership's determination to launch a crackdown.

Diplomatic sources said Vice-Premier Deng Xiaoping has agreed to a tightening up of party ideological and economic discipline in exchange for the expected f orthcoming resignation of party boss Hua Guofeng.