<<返回2004-09

China's Jiang Turns Over Last Post to ...	adoctor	2004-09-19 19:56
China's Jiang Turns Over Last Post to Hu 18 minutes ago By AUDRA ANG, Associated Press Writer BEIJING - Former president Jiang Zemin turned over his last major post as chairman of the commission that runs China's military to his successor Hu Jintao, the government said Sunday, completing the country's first peaceful leadership transition since its 1949 revolution. Jiang, whose term was to have run until 2007, handed in his resignation during a meeting of the ruling Communist Party's Central Committee, the official Xinhua News Agency said in a brief dispatch. The committee "approved Hu to take over the (Central Military Commission) chairmanship after accepting Jiang's resignation," Xinhua said. It did not say why Jiang chose to leave before his term was up. Xu Caihou, 61, will replace Hu as deputy chairman, Xinhua said. In 1999, Xu became a vice director in the People's Liberation Army, China's massive military. Diplomats and political analysts didn't expect any major announcements from the four-day meeting of the 198-member Central Committee which began behind closed doors on Thursday. The session, which ended Sunday, was to focus on looking for ways to improve party governance. But media reports that Jiang would step down began circulating days before the meeting began. Citing unidentified sources, The New York Times said on its Web site Saturday that the former president might possibly cite heart trouble or cancer as an excuse for an early exit. The 78-year-old Jiang, however, has given no public sign of illness. The resignation might also mean that Jiang is using a well-worn tactic in Chinese politics to shore up his position by mobilizing public declarations of support and having backers beg him to stay. Jiang's retirement would complete the first peaceful leadership transition since the Communists took power in 1949. Party leaders have been keen on a peaceful transfer of power as they wrestle economic and social problems ranging from rural proverty to corruption to relations with rival Taiwan. Hu has long been expected to inherit the top position in the military commission. Taking the post would ensure Hu's status as the country's paramount leader, although he would still be surrounded by Jiang allies on the nine-member Standing Committee, the party's highest echelon of power. Hu, 62, took over as party leader in 2002 and became president early the following year in a long-planned handover to younger leaders. Jiang retained his influence after 13 years as party leader by holding on to his military post — along with its power and privileges — when he stepped down. Since all other leaders of Jiang's generation gave up their official posts by early 2003, the former president's continued political power and the divided national leadership has been awkward for Hu and Premier Wen Jiabao. Recent media reports have noted signs of tension between Hu and Jiang, but given China's closed and secretive political system, the speculation is virtually impossible to prove. Jiang, a former Shanghai mayor, was plucked from obscurity by then-supreme leader Deng Xiaoping to lead the party in 1989 after pro-democracy protests and an internal power struggle threatened to tear it apart. Deng nominated Hu as Jiang's successor in the early 1990s, setting in motion a succession that was just completed.

The news	adoctor	2004-09-19 20:07
was from www.yahoo.com. It's not very easy to find news about china from www.yahoo.com, so .... It's very nice to find this news, because it's a sign that our nation's leaders will be younger than ever....hope more and more young and energetic learder take over power of our nation...