China’s Communist Party Chooses New Leader

Hu’s appointment as general secretary virtually assures his election as president next March, replacing current President Jiang Zemin who retires after 13 years in power.

The transfer of party authority from Jiang to Hu, which was widely expected, was characterized as orderly and ceremonial in contrast to past party changes that have been marked by difficult power struggles. The announcement came after the closing of the week-long 16th National Congress of the Communist Party, where party leaders discussed plans for the future as China attempts to merge its economy and traditions with a rapidly changing global marketplace.

A former engineer known for his photographic memory, the 59-year-old Hu appeared in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People with eight of Jiang’s colleagues from the party’s inner circle, the Politburo Standing Committee, to announce the appointment.

“Chinese people of all ethnic groups will be more closely united to concentrate on construction and development in order to constantly push forward China’s reform, opening up and modernization,” Hu said.

The party leadership still contains many loyal to Jiang and analysts predict it could take several years before Hu will be able to form his own alliances and policy reforms independent of his predecessor’s agenda.

In his comments to reporters, Hu immediately credited Jiang for his new post while adding, “We firmly believe China’s tomorrow will surely be better.”

“We will live up to the great trust of the entire party and the expectations of people across the country,” Hu said.

Jiang was re-elected to head the Communist party’s military commission, further solidifying his influence on the country’s leadership from retirement.

A country of more than 1 billion people, China remains a potential economic powerhouse with prospering exports and foreign investments, but is marked with unemployment problems while the Communist Party retains a tight grip on all political activity.

Hu’s appointment indicates the party’s continuing loyalty to late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, who picked Hu as Jiang’s potential successor by making him the youngest member of the party’s inner sanctum in 1992. Deng brought Jiang to the country’s top job in 1989 in the wake of the crackdown on Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests.

The last Communist Party general secretary, Zhao Ziyang, remains under house arrest after he indicated sympathy for the million-plus Tiananmen Square protestors, warning them to abandon their vigil before martial law was enacted.

A White House spokesman offered congratulations to Hu on behalf of President Bush and said Vice President Dick Cheney will visit China next year.

“We will continue to work closely with Chinese leaders on a variety of issues as part of our important relationship with China, including human rights, religious freedoms and economic ties,” deputy press secretary Scott McClellan said.