"Cooling" of Political Changes and

National Re-evaluation (1989-99)

POLITICAL CHANGE

Li Peng (b. 1928): Premier of China from 1988 to 1998. Li is closely identified with those members of the CCP leadership that strongly supported the crackdown on the 1989 demonstrators.

Jiang Zemin (b. 1926): general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1989 and president in 1993. Jiang succeeded Zhao Ziyang following the June 4^th Crackdown. Since Deng's death, Jiang has tried to phase out the least effective state-run industries, and had attempted to patch up relations with the US.

Zhu Rongji (b. 1929): former mayor of Shanghai, who came to national prominence through his effective (largely non-violent) handling of his region's demonstrations in 1989. Zhu is sometimes seen as a political "outsider" for those high-level official whose power base is found in or near Beijing. Zhu replaced Li Peng as Premier in July 1998, and has been in charge of directing China's economic reforms for several years. Zhu has also taken a high-profile role in expressing Chinese government policy overseas.

"Tour of the South" (Spring 1992): Deng Xiaoping’s "publicity stunt" (of the kind that dates back to the imperial period!) attempt to re-direct the Chinese people's attention to economic, not political, matters of reform.

"Three Gorges" Dam Project: site of the massive hydroelectric dam presently in its middle stages of construction on the Yangzi River in Sichuan.

Hu Jintao (1942-): native of Jixi, Anhui Province. Hu succeeded Jiang Zemin as Communist Party chief in the autumn of 2002. He took the office of President and vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission in 2003.

Wen Jiabao, male, (1942-): native of Tianjin. Wen joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in April 1965. He graduated with a specialization in geological structure from Beijing Institute of Geology. In March 2003 the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, picked Wen Jiabao to succeed Zhu Rongji as the new premier of the State Council.