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| Hu Jintao tells China Communist party congress to stamp out corruption | Hu Jintao tells China Communist party congress to stamp out corruption |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| China's departing president, Hu Jintao, has warned that corruption threatens the ruling Communist party and the state, promising political reform as he formally opened a party congress that will usher in a once-in-a-decade leadership change. More than 2,000 hand-picked delegates gathered at Beijing's Great Hall of the People for the start of the week-long session, held against a backdrop of growing social unrest, public anger at graft and a yawning gap between rich and poor. | China's departing president, Hu Jintao, has warned that corruption threatens the ruling Communist party and the state, promising political reform as he formally opened a party congress that will usher in a once-in-a-decade leadership change. More than 2,000 hand-picked delegates gathered at Beijing's Great Hall of the People for the start of the week-long session, held against a backdrop of growing social unrest, public anger at graft and a yawning gap between rich and poor. |
| "If we fail to handle this issue [corruption] well it could prove fatal to the party and even cause the collapse of the party and the fall of the state," Hu warned in an opening speech. | "If we fail to handle this issue [corruption] well it could prove fatal to the party and even cause the collapse of the party and the fall of the state," Hu warned in an opening speech. |
| "Reform of the political structure is an important part of China's overall reform. We must continue to make both active and prudent efforts to carry out the reform of the political structure and make people's democracy more extensive, fuller in scope and sounder in practice." | "Reform of the political structure is an important part of China's overall reform. We must continue to make both active and prudent efforts to carry out the reform of the political structure and make people's democracy more extensive, fuller in scope and sounder in practice." |
| Nobody expects a move towards full democracy and party spokesman Cai Mingzhao made clear on Wednesday that one-party rule was inviolate. The party has expelled senior regional leader Bo Xilai and accused him of abusing his office, taking huge bribes and other crimes in a dramatic fall from power that has shaken the leadership transition. "We must never let words act in place of the law or [personal] power replace the law; nor will we allow the ignoring of the law for personal benefit," Hu said. | Nobody expects a move towards full democracy and party spokesman Cai Mingzhao made clear on Wednesday that one-party rule was inviolate. The party has expelled senior regional leader Bo Xilai and accused him of abusing his office, taking huge bribes and other crimes in a dramatic fall from power that has shaken the leadership transition. "We must never let words act in place of the law or [personal] power replace the law; nor will we allow the ignoring of the law for personal benefit," Hu said. |
| During the congress Hu will give up his role as party chief to his anointed successor – the vice-president, Xi Jinping. Xi is to take over state duties at the annual meeting of parliament in March. A few weeks after anti-Japan riots swept city streets following a row over disputed islands, Hu said China should strengthen the armed forces, protect its maritime interests and be prepared for "local war" in the information age. "We should enhance our capacity for exploiting marine resources, resolutely safeguard China's maritime rights and interests and build China into a maritime power," he said. China is also locked in dispute with south-east Asian neighbours on disputed areas in the South China Sea. Relations with the United States have been bogged down by accusations of military assertiveness in the region from both sides. | During the congress Hu will give up his role as party chief to his anointed successor – the vice-president, Xi Jinping. Xi is to take over state duties at the annual meeting of parliament in March. A few weeks after anti-Japan riots swept city streets following a row over disputed islands, Hu said China should strengthen the armed forces, protect its maritime interests and be prepared for "local war" in the information age. "We should enhance our capacity for exploiting marine resources, resolutely safeguard China's maritime rights and interests and build China into a maritime power," he said. China is also locked in dispute with south-east Asian neighbours on disputed areas in the South China Sea. Relations with the United States have been bogged down by accusations of military assertiveness in the region from both sides. |
| The government has tightened security in the run-up to the congress, even banning the flying of pigeons in the capital, and has either locked up or expelled dozens of dissidents it fears could spoil the occasion. | The government has tightened security in the run-up to the congress, even banning the flying of pigeons in the capital, and has either locked up or expelled dozens of dissidents it fears could spoil the occasion. |
| Security was especially tight on Thursday around the Great Hall and Tiananmen Square next door, the scene of pro-democracy protests in 1989 that were crushed by the military. Police dragged away a screaming protester as the Chinese national flag was raised at dawn. | Security was especially tight on Thursday around the Great Hall and Tiananmen Square next door, the scene of pro-democracy protests in 1989 that were crushed by the military. Police dragged away a screaming protester as the Chinese national flag was raised at dawn. |
| Hu said China's development should be "much more balanced, co-ordinated and sustainable", and it should double its 2010 GDP and per capita income by 2020. But China experts say that unless the new leadership pushes through stalled reforms the nation risks economic malaise, deepening unrest and perhaps even a crisis that could shake the party's grip on power. | Hu said China's development should be "much more balanced, co-ordinated and sustainable", and it should double its 2010 GDP and per capita income by 2020. But China experts say that unless the new leadership pushes through stalled reforms the nation risks economic malaise, deepening unrest and perhaps even a crisis that could shake the party's grip on power. |
| Chinese growth slowed for a seventh straight quarter in July-September, missing the government's target for the first time since the depths of the global financial crisis, but other data points to a mild year-end rebound. Amid the clampdown on dissenting voices for the congress, a Tibetan rights group reported that three teenage Tibetan monks and a woman set themselves on fire on Wednesday in protest against Chinese rule, bringing to almost 70 the number of self-immolations by Tibetans in 18 months. | Chinese growth slowed for a seventh straight quarter in July-September, missing the government's target for the first time since the depths of the global financial crisis, but other data points to a mild year-end rebound. Amid the clampdown on dissenting voices for the congress, a Tibetan rights group reported that three teenage Tibetan monks and a woman set themselves on fire on Wednesday in protest against Chinese rule, bringing to almost 70 the number of self-immolations by Tibetans in 18 months. |
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