|
China's Hu to cement grip on power
2005-07-07
BEIJING - Chinese President Hu Jintao is expected to promote about six army officers to full general rank soon to cement his grip on power after almost three years at the helm, military sources said on Thursday.Hu, 62, took over the top job in the military from Jiang Zemin, 78, last September, completing China's first smooth generational leadership succession since 1949. He has has since tightened his hold over the media, academics, lawyers and pro-democracy activists. But analysts say Hu, who replaced Jiang as president in March 2003 and Communist Party chief in November 2002, has been moving allies to key positions to further consolidate his power base. The Communist Party has monopolised politics in China for more than five decades and -- with protests now growing over land rights, jobs and the widening wealth gap -- has no qualms about crushing perceived threats to its rule. About six People's Liberation Army (PLA) officers are likely to attain full general rank on or around Army Day on Aug. 1, the second group promoted by Hu since he became military chief, the sources with knowledge of the planned promotions told Reuters. Those moving up will include Lieutenant-Generals Wu Shengli and Xu Qiliang, both of whom were made deputy chiefs of general staff in July 2004, said the sources who requested anonymity. "They will be routine promotions. Hu won't make any exceptions by elevating unqualified people," one source said. ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN The promotions would allow the president to win more allies in the PLA, where loyalties are split between Hu or Jiang. "After a promotion, the promoted becomes the promoter's man," Lin Chong-Pin, a former Taiwan deputy defence minister and an expert on the PLA, told Reuters by telephone. Jiang, who still wields some political influence through proxies who dominate the party's all-powerful nine-member Politburo Standing Committee headed by Hu, promoted 79 officers to full general rank during the 15 years he was in power. Aside from the military, Hu has also extended his sphere of influence to the party and the government. A Hu ally, Cai Wu, 55, a former coal miner who topped local university entrance examinations and went on to study and teach international politics at the elite Peking University, will be appointed cabinet spokesman, Hong Kong newspapers said. Cai would replace Jiang confidant Zhao Qizheng, who has reached the compulsory retirement age of 65, the newspapers said. The cabinet spokesman's office had no immediate comment. Cai had a stint with the Communist Youth League, Hu's power base, in the 1980s. He is currently vice minister of the party's international liaison department, which deals with foreign political parties, and mentors doctorate candidates at the People's University in Beijing. Another Hu ally with links to the Youth League, Zhang Baoshun, was appointed party chief of the northern province of Shanxi last week. He was previously acting governor of the coal-producing province, which has a population of 33 million. Zhang, who turns 55 this year, and Hu go back a long way. Zhang was named alternate secretary of the Youth League's secretariat in 1982 when Hu was as its secretary. The Youth League, the party's "helping hand and reserve army", boasts 71.9 million members. "Both Zhang and Cai are close to Hu," said Zhang Zuhua, who quit the Youth League after the army crushed the student-led Tiananmen Square demonstrations for democracy on June 4, 1989. "Hu is still in the stage of consolidating his power base and prefers to promote people he is familiar with." (Reuters)
China names new political head for HK army unit (2005-07-27)U.S. Vietnam Commander Westmoreland Dies (2005-07-19)China's Hu to cement grip on power (2005-07-07)Car Bombs Kill U.S. Soldier, Five Iraqis (2005-03-15)Five killed in three Baghdad car bombs day before Iraqi parliament is to convene (2005-03-15)
| 
