Let us now praise Hu Jintao
Wednesday, 15. August 2007, 04:27:52
Michael Chang
Asia Times
27 July, 2007
When the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) held its 14th National Congress in 1992, among other things, it duly elected the so-called third-generation leaders to fill the then-seven-member Standing Committee of the Politburo, the real power center that rules China.
As suggested by Deng Xiaoping, the paramount leader of China at the time, Hu Jintao was elected into the Politburo Standing Committee. At the age of 50, Hu became the youngest member elevated to the Standing Committee, with the full understanding that he would eventually succeed Jiang Zemin when the latter retired.
Hu's elevation to national prominence was greeted throughout China with puzzlement. The question, "Who is Hu Jintao?" instantly dominated conversations inside and outside the government apparatus, but few had answers.
For the next 11 years, Hu served in different capacities, each with increasing duties and responsibilities, seemingly going through a tailor-made training program for this future supreme leader. But he largely remained a shadow behind Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin. Rarely were his pictures or activities conspicuously displayed on Chinese news media, let alone printed and reported outside China. In the eyes of the Chinese people, Hu was a non-entity.
Asia Times
27 July, 2007
When the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) held its 14th National Congress in 1992, among other things, it duly elected the so-called third-generation leaders to fill the then-seven-member Standing Committee of the Politburo, the real power center that rules China.
As suggested by Deng Xiaoping, the paramount leader of China at the time, Hu Jintao was elected into the Politburo Standing Committee. At the age of 50, Hu became the youngest member elevated to the Standing Committee, with the full understanding that he would eventually succeed Jiang Zemin when the latter retired.
Hu's elevation to national prominence was greeted throughout China with puzzlement. The question, "Who is Hu Jintao?" instantly dominated conversations inside and outside the government apparatus, but few had answers.
For the next 11 years, Hu served in different capacities, each with increasing duties and responsibilities, seemingly going through a tailor-made training program for this future supreme leader. But he largely remained a shadow behind Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin. Rarely were his pictures or activities conspicuously displayed on Chinese news media, let alone printed and reported outside China. In the eyes of the Chinese people, Hu was a non-entity.
