1 MARCH 1997, Page 23

Post mortem

NOW that Deng Xiaoping has found his place in a crematorium for heroes, it would be indelicate to ask what length of time elapsed between his death and its announcement, or what happened in the meantime. I can only record that a fort- night ago, a City delegation about to set off for Beijing was advised not to come. The weather there, so their hosts blandly informed them, was bad.