Jan 21, 1976: Mao Zedong names Hua Guofeng as acting premier
CPC Encyclopedia
Jan 21, 1976: Mao Zedong nominates Hua Guofeng as acting premier of State Council
On Jan 21, 1976, Chairman Mao Zedong nominated Hua Guofeng as acting premier of the State Council to preside over the work of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). On Jan 28, 1976, Mao formally submitted his name. On Feb 2, 1976, the CPC Central Committee issued a notice that the Political Bureau had unanimously approved Hua Guofeng as acting premier.