Posts tagged ‘president hu jintao’

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12/11/2012

* Hu’s calls on household registration reform face opposition

As usual, local authorities go against national strategy and interests.

SCMP: “President Hu Jintao’s calls for faster reforms to the out-of-date household registration system face strong resistance from local government officials, the Jinghua Times reported on Monday.

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Household registration, or hukou, which covers every family in mainland China, records people as either town dwellers or rural peasants. Many blame it for causing discrimination against peasants who move to cities, where their identity prevents them from gaining access to services like health care and education for their children.

At the 18th party congress, which continues this week in Beijing, Hu has called for faster reform of the registration system and expanded public welfare coverage for all citizens, whatever their household origin.

But scholars say the reform effort is encountering strong opposition from local government officials, because it would unleash financially ruinous demands for social welfare spending, the Jinghua Times newspaper said.

Hu Xingdou, a professor of economics at the Beijing Institute of Technology, said the state council has issued several orders for reforms since 2001, but they were blocked by fierce resistance at the local government level.

Reforms bring heavy financial pressure on local governments, says agricultural economics scholar Zheng Fengtian. The social welfare costs needed to cover tens of millions of rural migrants, when they arrive in big cities, are too heavy for local governments to handle, he said.

A blue paper from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences forecasts that 500 million peasants will move from the countryside to the mainland’s cities within the next 20 years. Including them in social welfare programmes will cost between 40 trillion and 50 trillion yuan (HK$49 trillion and HK$62 trillion), it estimates.

This situation will be especially intense in coastal regions, where the mobile population will surpass the number of city residents, Zheng added.

Professor Hu said market mechanisms would solve the problems that concern local officials. “When [rural migrants] find cities overcrowded, and the unemployment rate and housing prices too high, they will eventually leave the cities,” he said.

He warned that delaying reforms will only increase the risks, saying “what matters most is the central government’s determination on reform”.

There are currently 271 million people in the mainland who are not living in the location of their household registration, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

Dang Guoying, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said “without proper reform of household registration, peasants cannot benefit from urbanisation, which will intensify social disparities and eventually bring stagnation to China’s development”.”

via Hu’s calls on household registration reform face opposition | South China Morning Post.

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06/11/2012

* Understanding China’s 18th Communist Party Congress

Reuters: “China’s ruling Communist Party opens its 18th Congress on Thursday, a complicated political coronation that will install the country’s fifth generation of leaders.

Here is how the process works and some pointers to what is at stake in this congress.

AGENDA

– The five-yearly congress elects about 370 full and alternate members of the party’s elite Central Committee in a session lasting about one week, drawing from a pre-selected pool of candidates expected to be only slightly larger than 370.

– The new Central Committee’s first session, held the day after the congress ends, then selects some two dozen members of the decision-making Politburo, again drawing from a list of candidates already selected by the party’s leadership over months of political jockeying.

– The new Politburo Standing Committee, the party’s top echelon of power which currently has nine members, will then be unveiled after the one-day Central Committee plenum ends. It is widely expected to be shrunk to seven, facilitating decision-making needed to push through key reforms.

– A series of other appointments will also be made over the congress period, and in some cases before it. These include provincial party chiefs and governors and heads of some state-owned enterprises.

– Vice President Xi Jinping is set to take over as party general secretary from President Hu Jintao at the end of the congress. Xi then takes over as head of state in March at the annual full meeting of parliament.

One uncertainty is whether Hu will also give up his job as military chief. His predecessor, Jiang Zemin, stayed on in that role for two years after stepping down as party chief.

POLICIES

– Hu will give a keynote report to the opening session of the congress, appraising the meeting of the party’s work over the past five years and mapping out challenges ahead for the next five years. Details of the speech remain a closely guarded secret ahead of time.

– The catchphrase in state media and among academics ahead of the congress has been “reform”. China experts say that unless the new leadership pushes through stalled reforms, the nation risks economic malaise, deepening unrest and ultimately even a crisis that could shake the party’s grip on power.

– Advocates of reform are pressing Xi to cut back the privileges of state-owned firms, make it easier for rural migrants to settle permanently in cities, fix a fiscal system that encourages local governments to live off land expropriations and, above all, tether the powers of a state that they say risks suffocating growth and fanning discontent.

– There may also perhaps be cautious efforts to answer calls for more political reforms, though nobody seriously expects a move towards full democracy.

The party may introduce experimental measures to broaden inner-party democracy – in other words, encouraging greater debate within the party – but stability remains a top concern and one-party rule will be safeguarded.”

via Factbox: Understanding China’s 18th Communist Party Congress | Reuters.

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06/11/2012

* China leaders consider internal democratic reform

Even if it seems to be somewhat internal, such a move would be the first step towards openness and transparency.  And who knows where that might lead.

Reuters: “China’s outgoing leader and his likely successor are pushing the ruling Communist Party to adopt a more democratic process this month for choosing a new leadership, sources said, in an attempt to boost its flagging legitimacy in the eyes of the public.

A man walks past a logo of the Communist Party of China (CPC) at a media center for the upcoming18th National Congress of the CPC, which starts Thursday, in Beijing November 5, 2012. REUTERS-Jason Lee

The extent of the reform would be unprecedented in communist China where elections for the highest tiers of the party, held every five years, have been mainly exercises in rubber-stamping candidates already agreed upon by party power-brokers.

The Communist Party, which has held unbroken power since 1949, is struggling to maintain its popular legitimacy in the face of rising inequality, corruption and environmental degradation, even as the economy continues to bound ahead.

President Hu Jintao and his heir, Xi Jinping, have proposed that the party’s 18th Congress, which opens on Thursday, should hold elections for the elite Politburo where for the first time there would be more candidates than available seats, said three sources with ties to the party leadership.

The Politburo, currently 24 members, is the second-highest level of power in China from which the highest decision-making body, the Politburo Standing Committee, is chosen.

They are chosen by the roughly 200 full members of the Central Committee which is in turn chosen by the more than 2,000 delegates at this week’s Congress.

Under their proposal, there would be up to 20 percent more candidates than seats in the new Politburo in an election to be held next week, the sources said. It was unclear if competitive voting would also be extended to the Standing Committee.

“Hu wants expanding intra-party democracy to be one of his legacies,” one source said, requesting anonymity to avoid repercussions for discussing secretive elite politics.

“It would also be good for Xi’s image,” the source added.

Xi is considered certain to replace Hu as party chief at the congress, with Li Keqiang, currently a vice premier, tipped to become his deputy in the once-in-a-decade transition to a new administration. Xi would then take over as president, and Li as premier, at the annual full session of parliament in March.

China experts said a more competitive election for the Politburo would mark a historic reform that could lead to surprises in the formation of Xi’s administration, with wider implications for further political reform.

“This is a very, very important development,” said Cheng Li, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

“It would provide a new source of legitimacy. It would not just be dark-box manipulation … The party’s legitimacy is so low that they must do something to uplift the public’s confidence.”

However, Li and other experts remained skeptical that the proposal would be adopted, given that it could still be vetoed by party elders or conservatives.

via Exclusive: China leaders consider internal democratic reform | Reuters.

Posted in 10 year leadership change, China alert, Democracy, Good news, Politics, Reform, Transparency | 1 Comment »

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20/10/2012

* Q&A: China’s new leaders

Another “must read” article from the BBC

China’s ruling Communist Party is about to hold an important congress and usher in sweeping leadership changes which could have a profound impact on the country’s future direction.

Wen Jiabao (L), Xi Jinping (C) and Hu Jintao (R) - archive image

With China now the world’s second largest economy and an increasingly important global player, the changes will be closely watched around the world. What are the main issues?

What is the party congress?

The congress is held every five years and is a platform to announce party policies and personnel changes in the party leadership.

More than 2,200 delegates from across China will gather in Beijing for the congress, which opens on 8 November.

The congress will be a well-choreographed display of power and unity, but the proceedings will mostly take place behind closed doors.

Most, if not all, of the outcomes will have been settled among top leaders before the congress gets under way.

It is not clear how long the meeting will go on for. But recent congresses have typically lasted seven days.

Why is it important?

This year’s congress is particularly important because it will endorse a once-in-a-decade leadership succession.

The party sets strict age limits for its leaders and seven out of the nine current members of the all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee – the party’s ruling body – are expected to step down. They include President Hu Jintao, who is head of the party and China’s head of state, and Premier Wen Jiabao, who is like a prime minister in charge of the government.

Immediately after the Congress ends, a new leadership will be unveiled to waiting journalists, and walk out in order of seniority.

The new leadership, the make-up of which has been determined in advance, will rule China for the next 10 years.

Who will China’s new leaders be?

Vice-President Xi Jinping is expected to replace Hu Jintao as the party’s general secretary after the congress, and become state president early next year.

The National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) will convene on 8 November in Beijing

He is one of the select group of “princelings” – top party officials who are descended from former party grandees.

Vice-Premier Li Keqiang, a close ally of Mr Hu, is tipped to replace Wen Jiabao as premier.

There has been a lot of speculation as to who the other Politburo Standing Committee members will be, and its final line-up will be closely watched for hints as to China’s future direction.

It has been widely reported that the Standing Committee will shrink from nine members to seven, in an effort to streamline decision-making.

How are new leaders selected?

In theory, the party congress elects members of the Central Committee, who in turn elect the politburo, including its Standing Committee, China’s top decision-making body.

But in practice, the process has always been top-down rather than bottom-up, and the congress is really a rubber stamp for top leaders’ decisions.

Under Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, the paramount leaders named their own successors.

Now that the era of political strongmen is over, the selection of new leaders has become a murky process of intrigue and horse trading among various party factions and interest groups.

Though Li Keqiang was believed to be Hu Jintao’s favourite candidate, Xi Jinping emerged on top because he was acceptable to all party factions.

What difference will the new leaders make?

Advocates of reform are calling on the new leadership to carry out urgent reforms to prevent economic and social problems from evolving into a crisis that could loosen the Communist Party’s grip on power.

In particular, they warn that, without incremental political reform, the unchecked powers of the state risk suffocating growth and exacerbating popular discontent.

It was recently reported that Mr Xi, the leader-in-waiting, hinted that he has heard the calls for him to take a bolder path.

But any more daring reform could face opposition from powerful interest groups, including party factions that chose the new leaders in the first place.

What happens to leaders who retire?

Retired Chinese leaders often continue to wield great influence from behind the scenes.

After Jiang Zemin stepped down as party leader in 2002, he remained as head of the Central Military Commission for two years, setting a precedent some say Hu Jintao may now seek to repeat.

Even party elders without official posts can stay active, especially in the lead-up to leadership successions.

Both Jiang and his rival Li Ruihuan, a former leader close to Hu Jintao, have reportedly made public appearances in a bid to boost their own factions.

With party elders still holding sway, new leaders can be quite constrained when they first take office.

Do we really know what’s happening, or is it educated guesswork?

China started opening to the world in 1978, and observers now know vastly more about its people and society than ever before.

But China’s political system remains opaque and secretive.

For example, just weeks before the congress, Xi Jinping was not heard from for two weeks, sparking a flurry of online rumours which Beijing’s official silence only served to fan.

One insight we will get into the party’s latest thinking will be Hu Jintao’s much-anticipated “political report”, to be delivered on 8 November.

Chinese political speeches are usually full of jargon and hard to decipher. But observers will pore over the report for new watchwords

via BBC News – Q&A: China’s new leaders.

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31/08/2012

* China’s Hu seeks clean power handover with ally’s promotion

Reuters: “China’s outgoing President Hu Jintao is angling to promote one of his closest allies to the military’s decision-making body, sources said, in a move that would allow him to maintain an influence over Beijing’s most potent instrument of power.

China's President Hu Jintao smiles during a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing August 30, 2012. REUTERS/Diego Azubel/Pool

Three sources with ties to the top leadership said Hu hopes to cut all of his direct links to the top echelons of power by early 2013, on the understanding that his protégé, Vice Premier Li Keqiang, is made a vice chairman of the military commission at the party’s five-yearly congress later this year.

Hu wants a clean handover of the party leadership, the presidency and the top military post to his anointed successor, Xi Jinping, over the next seven months, to avoid a repeat of the past internal rancor when a transition of power took place, sources say.

They point to the example of his predecessor, Jiang Zemin, who clung onto the top job at the Communist Party’s Central Military Commission for two years after stepping down as party chief and president, a move seen as unpopular with party cadres and the public.

Hu, as president, is the current military commission chairman and, like Jiang, could choose to stay on as its chief for another couple of years beyond his handover of the presidency to Xi in March 2013.

In what is seen as the ultimate bulwark of power, the commission oversees the 2.3-million strong People’s Liberation Army (PLA) as well as the People’s Armed Police which enforces domestic security.

Hu has not made public his plans for retirement but, unlike in the West where former presidents and prime ministers tend to fade from the public eye, Chinese leaders seek to maintain influence to avoid possible adverse political repercussions down the road.

The government generally does not comment on elite politics and personnel changes before the official announcement.

As a senior member of the commission, Li, who is also set to be named as the next premier in March 2013, would be expected to help protect Hu’s legacy in the area of military affairs, which has included a more moderate approach towards Taiwan and to territorial disputes in the South China Sea and East China Sea.

“Hu hopes to go down in history as the first leader (since 1949) to step down when his term ends instead of being reluctant to go,” a businessman with leadership ties said.

As well as helping to preserve Hu’s legacy, analysts say Li’s promotion will ensure there is no political retribution against Hu or his family by rivals who remain in power once he is gone.

But bargaining over the next leadership line-up is not over, and there is still room for change and surprises.”

via Exclusive: China’s Hu seeks clean power handover with ally’s promotion – sources | Reuters.

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15/06/2012

* Arrested spy compromised China’s U.S. espionage network

Reuters: “A Chinese state-security official arrested this year on allegations of spying for Washington is suspected to have compromised some of China’s U.S. agents in a major setback that angered President Hu Jintao, sources said.

Hu personally intervened this year, ordering an investigation into the case after the Ministry of State Security arrested one of its own officials for passing information to the Americans, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.

The official, an aide to a vice minister, was taken into custody sometime between January and March after the ministry became alarmed last year over repeated incidents of Chinese agents being compromised in the United States, they said.

Seal of the C.I.A. - Central Intelligence Agen...

Seal of the C.I.A. of the United States Gov’t (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The ministry’s own investigations found the aide had been working for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for years, divulging information about China’s overseas spy network in the nation’s worst espionage scandal for two decades, they added.

The sources’ comments represent the first confirmation that overseas Chinese espionage was deemed to have been damaged by the security breach, which has been kept quiet by both Beijing and Washington. Reuters first reported it on June 1.”

via Exclusive: Arrested spy compromised China’s U.S. espionage network: sources | Reuters.

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02/04/2012

* Sino-ASEAN ties key to peace in S. China Sea

China Daily: “China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations should work hard to boost practical cooperation and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, said a joint statement due to be issued on Monday by China and Cambodia. According to the statement, the two countries agreed that “China and ASEAN countries shall continue to abide by the purpose and spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and give full play to all the existing mechanisms including the guidelines for the implementation of the DOC to make it a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation for China and ASEAN countries”.

Monday is the final day of President Hu Jintao’s four-day state visit to Cambodia, which holds the rotating chair of ASEAN in 2012 and plays an important role in East Asian cooperation and China-ASEAN relations. It also comes just two days ahead of a two-day regional summit of ASEAN in Phnom Penh.”

via Sino-ASEAN ties key to peace in S. China Sea|Politics|chinadaily.com.cn.

Given the increasing tension in the South China Seas due to conflicting oceanic territoriual claims, where large depositis of oil and gas are predicted, this must be good news.

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