Hua Guofeng cremated

BEIJING, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- Former Chinese Communist Party leader and Premier Hua Guofeng, who died Aug. 20 at age 87, was cremated Sunday at Beijing's Babaoshan cemetery.

Chinese President Hu Jintao and his predecessor Jiang Zemin and other party leaders offered condolences on Hua's death, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Hua was born in a tannery worker's family and during his 70-year political career, he took part in the war against Japanese aggression. In 1949, he moved to central Hunan Province with the People's Liberation Army and worked as a local official until 1971.

The late Chairman Mao Zedong had described Hua as "an honest man that did not lie."

Hua was promoted to the State Council in 1971 and elected to the powerful CPC Central Committee Political Bureau in 1973. Under then Premier Zhou Enlai, Hua rose to become a vice premier and minister of public security.

Hua succeeded Zhou after Zhou died in 1976.

After Mao's death, Hua played a critical role in crushing the notorious "Gang of Four," which was accused of bringing chaos in the country during the 1966-1976 Cultural Revolution, Xinhua reported. The Gang included Mao's widow Jiang Qing.

Hua "never bothered what he personally got or lost ... always putting the interests of the Party and people first," an official statement said.