Jiang desperately clinging to power

[dArKeR]

By Zhang Weiguo???

The political situation in China has been heating up lately. Attention has, of course, been focused on Central Military Commission Chairman Jiang Zemin (???), who remained in the back row during the 16th Chinese Communist Party (CCP) National Congress, but now has taken the spotlight to lead "the Shanghai clique" in attacks on everyone and everything.

Although the dust clearly has settled following Taiwan's presidential election, Jiang persists in using hired intellectuals to freely peddle the idea that there must be a war in the Taiwan Strait. He has also shown no restraint in making new appointments to and replacing top leaders in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and inspects local PLA units with much fanfare, engaging in saber-rattling and military exercises.

Although Vice President Zeng Qinghong's (???) handling of Hong Kong affairs clearly has angered the territory's residents, making 500,000-strong demonstrations a routine matter, he has refused to take any political responsibility. Instead, he travelled to South Africa while Falun Gong members were being attacked, and then tried to dupe Hong Kong journalists in an attempt to describe the disaster as a service to the nation.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/edit/archives/2004/07/30/2003181026

[bemildred]

1. Interesting thanks. nt

[teryang]

2. meddling interlopers all

...interesting to see how the "national defense" issues are used to manipulate public views across the straits in both directions.

There appears to be a mutual disrespect for those who seek to upset the status quo on both sides. I question the tea leave reading that Jiang is "desperate."

Often those who are appear "desperate" prevail until some catastrophic event is their final undoing.

Still very informative. Thanks.