H Jintao's Legacy

choi

(1) Jane Perlez, Military Role of Leader in China Still Unclear. New York Times, Nov 13, 2012.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/1 ... ess-winds-down.html

My comment: Please skip the first third (about developments that we already know) and start with the paragraph that says, "A political commentatorin Beijing, Chen Ziming.

(2) Tom Orlik and Bob Davis, Xi Inherits an Economy That Needs Work; Boom that started decade now risks running out of steam; China leader passes task of overhauls to his successor. Wall Street Journal, Nov 13, 2012.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB ... 14740309688964.html

two consecutive paragraphs:

"Mr Hu's administration hasn't been entirely inactive when it comes to economic overhauls. Abolition of agricultural taxes helped raise incomes for China's 650 million rural dwellers. Extension of public services—including expanding education coverage—has freed up funds for households to spend at the shops.

"Wu Yaojin, a 52-year-old farmer from Shaanxi province grows rice and other crops on his family's small plot of land. 'The agricultural tax was abolished about five years ago, four years ago we started to have medical insurance covering 80% of hospital charges and since last year we have a pension plan,' he said. 'The policies have relieved a great burden for us.'

My comment:
(a) I think it is unfair to blame the Hu administration for China's economy slowdown--and other problems. The Jiang (Zeming) administration had several advantages that the following administration does not have, such as
(i) demographics (as shown in the graphic accompanying the WSJ report--in China both the labor force and population aged 15-29 were expanding under Mr Jiang but almost flat under Mr Hu;
(ii) China's economic growth can not last forever (as no nation can); and
(iii) America's longest peacetime economic expansion under President Bill Clinton, which benefited every other nation, including China.   

Further, the restructuring of state-owned enterprises and mass layoff praised by the WSJ report were pushed through by Jiang's second premier Zhu Rongji only, but not the first premier Li Peng.
(b) Everything is relative. The Ching/Qing dynasty did a terrific job, if the Western powers did not knock at China's door. In the same vein, the Hu administration achieved something--but could have done more, I guess, but we all have 20/20 hindsight.

choi

(3) 分析：中共十八大与微博攻防大战. BBC Chinese, Nov 13, 2012.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/si ... ss_microblogs.shtml

My comment:
(a) Reading the first paragraph, I immediately could tell it was translating from an English report. I do not know why BBC does not give the credit where it is due.
(b) Here it is, the original.

Alexa Olesen, At Mao-Style Conclave, China Embraces Twitter Age. Associated Press, Nov 13, 2012.
http://news.yahoo.com/mao-style- ... -age-064709329.html

(4)
(a) 十八大显示出江泽民的最后影响力. BBC Chinese, Nov 13, 2012.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/si ... p_jiang_zemin.shtml

four consecutive paragraphs:

"但是，个人的原因有时比政治原因更重要。法新社援引香港大学政治评论员林和立的话说，江泽民很擅长这样的斗争。

"中国共产党则往往希望淡化政治老人在幕后参与选择未来领导人的事实，坚持表示新的领袖是通过全国代表大会由代表们选出的。

"法新社记者就江泽民是否参与选择下一代领导人的问题询问了据信属于江泽民政治盟友的新疆党委书记张春贤。

"张春贤拒绝发表评论，只是笑着说，“都是些谣传，我不知道你都是从哪儿听来的。”

(b) , which is essentially translated from

China Ex-Leader Jiang a New Force Behind Scenes. AFP, Nov 13, 2012 (two hours ago).
http://www.afp.com/en/news/topst ... force-behind-scenes

Quote:
(i) "'Jiang plays the role of kingmaker,' said Willy Lam, a political analyst at the University of Hong Kong who wrote a biography of Jiang. 'He has been very effective in this factional struggle.'

The role of geriatric party figures in the secret discussions which "determine China's leadership is played down by the Communist party, which says that its leaders are picked during the congress through elections by delegates.

"Zhang Chunxian, the party chief of the restive western province of Xinjiang, who is reportedly an ally of Jiang, refused to comment when asked about the ex-president's continued influence by an AFP reporter.

"'That sounds like gossip... I don't know where you get your information from,' he said, laughing dismissively.

(ii) "'I suspect Jiang's influence might not last beyond the Congress. He is trying to pull some strings but is not a powerful figure,' said Steve Tsang, professor of contemporary Chinese studies at Britain's University of Nottingham.

My comment: There is no need to read either report, except the quotations above.

(5) 英媒：全退是胡锦涛最大胆政治决定. BBC Chinese, Nov 13, 2012.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/si ... ress_hujintao.shtml

The first and last paragraphs:

"《泰晤士报》周二（13日）刊登该报在北京的记者Leo Lewis的文章说， 胡锦涛在向接班人交出党和国家的大权时，很可能也同时交出军权。

"文章最后引述知名政论家章立凡的话说，作为一个平庸的最高领导者，如果胡锦涛现在选择交出军权全退，将会是他从政生涯中所作出的最大胆的政治决定，也会是他留下的最大政治遗产。

(6) 李敦白:习近平作风民主但改革受阻. BBC Chinese, Nov 12, 2012.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/si ... erg_xijinping.shtml

, which is translated from

Sui-Lee Wee and Jane Lanhee Lee. Locked up by Mao, U.S. ex-revolutionary places hopes on Xi. Reuters, Nov 12, 2012.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2 ... USBRE8AB0BQ20121112

(7) 港媒：胡锦涛不留任中央军委主席. BBC Chinese, Nov 12, 2012
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/si ... /121112_scmp_.shtml
("香港《南华早报》星期一（11月12日）援引未经透露的消息来源报道")

My comment: There is no need to read the rest of the report, which is old news by now.

choi

(8) 习近平的抉择. BBC Chinese, Nov 13, 2012.
http://www.voachinese.com/content/xijinping-20121113/1544527.html

(9) 中国网民质疑胡锦涛收入翻一番承诺. BBC Chinese, Nov 13, 2012.
http://www.voachinese.com/conten ... 121112/1544014.html