WASHINGTON, Dec. 13--In an unusually frank meeting in mid-October, ChinesePresident Jiang Zemin strong-armed a key rival into retirement andsingle-handedly expanded China's top decision-making body from seven to ninemembers, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reports.
According to Zong Hairen, pseudonym for the highly-placed author of alandmark book on China's leadership transition, both Jiang and LiRuihuan--chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conferenceand once expected to become chair of the far more powerful National People'sCongress--"came well prepared to this Politburo Standing Committee meetingon Oct. 17."
"It was an extremely crucial and important meeting for both Jiang Zemin andLi Ruihuan. Were Li to stay on, it would mean the end of Jiang's influence.On the other hand, Li's retirement would mean his disappearance from China'spolitical stage," Zong wrote to RFA's Mandarin service. "The PolitburoStanding Committee had called a meeting with the express purpose offinalizing the personnel makeup" of its successor.
Zong is the pseudonym of the Chinese author of "Disidai" ("The FourthGeneration"), which gives an inside account of China's ongoing transition toa new generation of leaders. His letter--to be broadcast on RFA in threeparts, on Friday, Saturday, and Monday--contains new and detailedinformation about the wheeling and dealing that preceded the 16th PartyCongress in November, at which vice president Hu Jintao was tapped toreplace Jiang as Party chief.
Li Ruihuan, 68, a former carpenter and mayor of the northern port city ofTianjin, is widely viewed as more politically liberal than Jiang.Preliminary plans called for Li to remain on the Politburo StandingCommittee, according to "Disidai."
Jiang "seemed exceptionally high-spirited and confident, since the CentralMilitary Commission and the Politburo had rejected his request to step downas chairman of the Central Military Commission. He headed straight to themain item on the agenda--that it was urgent, necessary, and crucial to handover power to a new generation of leaders," Zong wrote.
After speaking for 20 minutes, Zong wrote, "Jiang said to Li, ComradeRuihuan, I know that you feel strongly that we should pass the torch to ayounger generation. You and I have worked for Party Central for 13 years....Comrade [Hu] Jintao is no match for us. He is a newcomer. You have alwaysbeen supportive of his work. The best support we can give Comrade Jintao isto allow him to perform with his hands untied. Obviously, if you and I arestill standing on the stage when Comrade Jintao takes over, he cannot carryout his work freely."
Li Ruihuan interrupted. "I do not crave power," he said, according to Zong."Nor do I believe in scheming. I do not know how to play power politics. Iam in good physical and mental health, and my mind works fairly well, too.Despite all that, I have long prepared to retire. I have been waiting tolearn of your view on this and have hoped that we could have aheart-to-heart talk. But to this day you have not initiated a conversationwith me, much less a heart-to-heart chat. I think that as the PartySecretary-General you have not done a good job in this regard."
Li prevented Jiang from speaking, and he went on to insist that his jobwould end "with the expiration of my current term next year. Rumors about mehave been circulating since this past summer. Undoubtedly, someone is tryingto tarnish my reputation with groundless, vicious gossip; undoubtedly,someone does not want me to carry on. One must know one's own limitations. Icannot hold up the sky all by myself," Li said, according to Zong.
At the same meeting, Jiang proposed expanding the Politburo StandingCommittee from seven to nine members. He then asked Hu, already tapped tobecome Party chief, to comment, Zong wrote.
"By giving the floor to Hu Jintao, Jiang Zemin deprived Zhu Rongji and LiRuihuan of the opportunity to veto. Upon hearing his name called, Hu Jintaoseemed surprised, but he collected himself and said yes to the proposalwithout any hesitation. Neither [Premier] Zhu Rongji nor Li Ruihuan saidanything. The personnel makeup of the 16th Politburo Standing Committee wasthus decided."
Last month, Zong--whom Chinese authorities have launched a major effort toapprehend--reported that most home-phone conversations in the Zhongnanhaileadership compound where top Chinese leaders live and work have beenmonitored and recorded.
RFA�s Mandarin service secured exclusive, worldwide broadcast rights inMandarin to "Disidai," published in English as "China�s New Rulers: TheSecret Files," edited by Andrew Nathan and Bruce Gilley. "Disidai" means"Fourth Generation" and refers to China�s emerging leaders. Jiang�s owncohort is known as the third generation, after the late Mao Zedong and DengXiaoping.
Through its broadcasts and call-in programs, RFA aims to fill a critical gapin the lives of people across Asia. Created by the U.S. Congress in 1994 andincorporated in 1996 as a private, nonprofit corporation, RFA currentlybroadcasts in Burmese, Cantonese, Khmer, Korean, Lao, Mandarin, the Wudialect, Vietnamese, Tibetan (Uke, Amdo, and Kham), and Uyghur. It adheresto the highest standards of journalism and aims to exemplify accuracy,balance, and fairness in its editorial content.