China's New Rulers : The Secret Files

At the Chinese Communist Party's 16th Congress in November 2002, a group of new leaders took over the world's most populous country. Their accession as the "Fourth Generation" of rulers of the People's Republic-following the generations of Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, and Jiang Zemin-signaled the end of a long, complex struggle for power. Yet little has been known outside high Party circles about either that struggle or the men who emerged victorious from it. Chinas New Rulers, based on confidential Party files leaked to a Chinese writer abroad, offers an unprecedented glimpse into the rune men who will lead China for the next five years-their backgrounds, their characters, and their visions for the future. It also portrays many other key figures in the Party, government, and military, and provides new information on Jiang Zemin's thirteen years in office. China New Rulers is an extraordinary account of a high-level political drama that largely took place in secret. This fully updated edition includes the story of the last-minute changes to the new leadership and the purge of the liberal Li Ruihuan just before the Party congress, and it explains how Jiang Zemin managed to retain control of the military instead of retiring completely at the Match 2003 National People's Congress. Most importantly, it contains the first insights into who will rule China, what changes they may bring to their country, and how they may act as international partners and competitors.