Officials in Beijing have yet to announce the time for a memorial to be held for former Chinese Communist Party Secretary General Zhao Ziyang, but based on the CCP’s past practice, memorials or funerals for Party or state leaders have taken one week after their death, according to an Apple Daily report from Jan. 22.

Zhao died in Beijing Hospital Jan. 17, so it seems likely that a memorial will be held in the coming week, and a report in the Chinese-language version of The Epoch Times today has indicated the memorial is likely to take place Monday.

Former CCP Secretary General Hu Yaobang died on Feb. 15, 1989, and his memorial was held on Feb. 26; the senior statesman of the CCP, Deng Xiaoping, died on Feb. 19, 1997, and his funeral was held on Feb. 26. Former Chinese President Yang Shangkun, who died on Aug. 14, 1998, and Vice Premier Song Renqiong, who died earlier this year, each had their memorials one week after their deaths.

According to a Hong Kong-based Ming Pao report on Jan. 22, Beijing has yet to reach an agreement with Zhao’s family in terms of funeral arrangements and the issue of the wording to appraise Zhao, but the differences between the authority and Zhao’s family are being narrowed. Ming Pao reported Saturday that although the CCP would not change its existing appraisal of Zhao’s career and impact on Chinese society, it would support the plan to bury Zhao as soon as possible to avoid any social unrest. Therefore, the CCP has agreed to publish an official public announcement appraising Zhao via state media, with emphasis on his merits and limit or avoid altogether negative appraisals. A stalemate emerged initially between the government and Zhao’s family over the CCP’s criticism of his involvement in supporting pro-democracy sympathies during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. In order to resolve the issue of Zhao’s funeral- and presumably to avoid unrest among those who revere Zhao for his pro-democracy sympathies- Beijing has now agreed to stress Zhao’s merits and avoid negative appraisals in the public announcement.

Zhao’s family members indicated that they were not concerned about which officials attend the memorial, but hoped the government would allow Zhao’s relatives, friends, acquaintance and public mourners to attend. Many who hope to attend the memorial will probably be unable to pay their last respects because of their involvement in the Tiananmen protests of 1989, which culminated in a bloody crackdown opposed by Zhao that left hundreds or thousands dead, depending on various reports. It has been reported in some Chinese media that Beijing has agreed to allow Bao Tong, Zhao’s former secretary, to visit the last time. The accuracy of the report and how Bao Tong would see Zhao remain unconfirmed.

According to the report, the party holds that anything else including Zhao’s career at various stage of his service to the CCP can be discussed, except for his “mistakes” made during the Tiananmen Square June 4th incident, which cannot be changed.

The Hong Kong-based Sing Pao Daily News said Saturday, however, the memorial would be held Tuesday in the Babanshan Revolutionary Cemetery, quoting informed sources in Beijing as saying the highest rank of officials to attend would be members of the CCP’s Political Bureau.