Internal affairs

Hu Jintao’s blessing as a future leader of China came early. Two months before his 50th birthday and 10 years before he assumed the top office, Deng Xiaoping fast-tracked him onto the Politburo Standing Committee (PSC) and everyone knew who would be following in Jiang Zemin’s footsteps.

The identification of Hu’s successor is set to be a much less clear-cut affair.

“I don’t think that anyone really has the real political clout to ...

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