Comments on: Hu hiccup gives vent to China power speculation

By: Jehangir Pocha

Jehangir Pocha — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 14:18:30 +0000

Since economic prosperity and growth was the basis of the Communist Party’s legitimacy, the economic slowdown must be making many in government nervous and restless. No doubt, there seems to be a jostling for power in Beijing, but that was always present in varying degrees. I wonder if there is now a new jostling for ideology. Some could argue that Hu’s and Wen Jiabao’s “scientific development” mantra has failed as much as Jiang’s “Three Represents” idea, in that it has not made China safe from economic instability. Others with other ideas must see this moment as an opportunity and perhaps Hu wants to let them know he is still very much in charge (or at least, very much wanting and fighting to be in charge).

I wonder what will happen if China’s sick banks also start revealing the full extent of their own exposures to the subprime crisis….

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:54:51 +0000

My initial response to the article was to conclude that it was a “verbal misstep”. But on giving it more thought it seems there is more. While the pause is understandable, his inability to finish the second part of a phrase repeated so often is not. Because of that, I think there’s some intentionality to Hu’s pause and choice of words.

By: Bennett Reiss

Bennett Reiss — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 11:24:56 +0000

Looking for clues in Chinese rhetoric is like looking for a needle in a haystack in my opinion. This is especially true for politicians. Everything from speeches to academia that emerges from the political class is usually extremely straightforward. There is rarely subtle commentary to decipher “in between the lines,” and the same is true in this case (in my opinion). It was probably the fact good old Hu Jin, as the pillar of Chinese leadership did not want to be seen choking on his own words. It doesn’t look good to choke in public if you’re a big leader. Anyone remember what happened to Bush when he choked on the pretzel? Hehe

By: denny

denny — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 02:45:09 +0000

“They still lack the ideas and innovation to save their country.”

what a joke…..us doesnt even has the right to comments on this right now, you guys are the people who lack the ideas and innovation to save your own country now

stop being arrogant anymore, and dont spend too much on your credit card….

By: Michael Rank

Michael Rank — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 18:29:43 +0000

It says a lot about China in the 21st century that 6.5 seconds of silence has Beijingologists reading the tealeaves in a way highly reminiscent of the Mao era.

By: China Journal : Best of the China Blogs: December 22

China Journal : Best of the China Blogs: December 22 — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 04:12:41 +0000

[...] rare silence during a speech by President Hu Jintao gives rise to a flurry of speculation about the motive and meaning behind the missing words. [Reuters Global News [...]

By: hari

hari — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 15:57:05 +0000

Globalization has rendered the pyramid of CCP/Politburo
into various factional groups to cope with demands of adjustment to financial and related crisis with US and world. How mainland China comes out of this crisis will decide the place of Hu in the heirarchy.

By: Owen Fletcher

Owen Fletcher — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 11:44:37 +0000

Notice too that praise of Hu’s “scientific development concept” seems to have grown more widespread in China state media. We hear about cadres at all Party levels, including the very top, forming study groups on how to “uphold” the concept. The same thing happened with Jiang’s “three represents” when he was trying to solidify his power base later in his presidency.
Hu may well have just lost his place, but he clearly hopes to consolidate power too.

By: tom s

tom s — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 10:13:46 +0000

What is fascinating is that in this huge country and in this modern age, we still have so little idea what is going on among the Chinese leadership…

By: Erping Zhang

Erping Zhang — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 09:31:09 +0000

It is little secret that this present CCP regime is a hybrid of at least three party centers (interest groups), with the clique of President Hu’s Communist Youth League, the CCP princelings represented by Xi Jinping, and the notorious Jiang Zemin and his proteges. Jiang and his pawns manage to continue exert enormous influence at the powerful Politburo, turning Hu’s presidency the feeblest of all CCP emperors since 1949. Hu’s hiccup on “one center” during the speech appears to be a natural react to this multi-center regime and out of his instinctual fear of offending Jiang who has been looking for an excuse to oust Hu at any opportunity. This is a regime that is delicately put together as any misstep could lead to the tilt of the present power balance, hence the desperate call for “stability above all.”