Hu becomes new Chicom president

China finally made Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) its president yesterday, handing power to a new generation of leaders expected to continue liberal economic policies while maintaining tight Communist Party political control.

Jiang Zemin (江澤民), 76, stepped into the political twilight with a grin to his successor -- and wide expectations that he would still wield significant influence over a government coping with a growing role in international affairs and increasing turmoil over economic reforms at home.

Hu, 60, the only candidate, was anointed long ago by the late Deng Xiaoping (鄧小平) and now controls both party and government, the two most prominent posts in China. His election by the rubber-stamp parliament, the National People's Congress, marks the crescendo of the first orderly power transfer in communist China's 54-year history.

"These leaders will work hard to help improve lives for ordinary Chinese, especially farmers and people in state businesses," said a delegate from Hunan.

Legislative delegates reappointed Jiang chairman of the government commission that leads China's 2.5-million-member military. He already chairs an identical party commission, and there was no indication when he might give up those posts. Jiang had been party chief since 1989 and president since 1993.

Hu claimed the head-of-state title four months after succeeding Jiang as party chairman, the most powerful position in the land. He still faces challenges from rivals on the party's decision-making Politburo Standing Committee, some of them Jiang proteges.

It could be years before he consolidates control.

Though the presidency has few official powers in China, Hu's elevation to it -- and the prestige it brings on the world stage -- reinforces his status as the country's new paramount leader. But no wholesale policy shifts appeared to be on the agenda, and the emphasis was on continuity.

"It doesn't matter who holds the top leadership post," said Zhang Tinghao, a delegate from the northern province of Shaanxi. "They will all wholeheartedly represent the people and work for their interest."

China's new leaders take charge of an increasingly restive society of 1.3 billion people that is struggling to cope with unemployment, rural poverty and other strains brought on by economic reforms and competition through entry into the WTO.

Despite those transformations, China's communist political system remains a closed, secretive apparatus that harshly punishes any moves it sees as threatening its monopoly on power.

The country's second-ranking party man, Wu Bangguo (吳邦國), replaces Li Peng (李鵬) as head of the legislature. And one longtime back-room operative, Zeng Qinghong (曾慶紅), Jiang's closest aide and chief political strategist, was named vice president. Zeng ranks fifth on the party's Standing Committee.

Unlike most of the votes that came out of the National People's Congress, the one for Zeng was overwhelming but hardly near unanimous -- a possible sign, even in a rubber-stamp process, of wariness to Jiang's continued clout.

One top-level position remains unresolved. On Sunday, a new premier will be selected to replace Zhu Rongji (朱鎔基). Vice Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶), another top party official, is considered the odds-on candidate to run government operations and oversee the economy.

Hu spent the first decades of his career working in some of China's poorest and most remote areas overseeing crackdowns.