The Economist (November 16, 2013)
“Xi Jinping has made himself the most powerful leader since Deng Xiaoping. That is probably a good thing.” His predecessor Hu Jintao proved unable to surmount the numerous obstacles to real reform. President Xi will need this increased muscle to overcome entrenched interests. “Too many people do too well out of today’s system to make change easy,” but change it should.
Tags: Deng Xiaoping, Entrenched interests, Hu Jintao, Leader, Obstacles, Power, Reform, Xi Jinping
New York Times (November 14)
Xi Jinping is poised to replace Hu Jintao as general secretary this week and president next March. “It could be sometime before the new relationships shake out and the world gets a clear sense of how Mr. Xi and his new colleagues intend to make their mark.” Will they continue on the same course or chose reform? Either way, they will confront challenge. China “faces daunting domestic and international challenges…. growth has slowed, state-run enterprises remain dominant in most industries and the gap between rich and poor is among the widest anywhere. Social and political unrest is increasing.”
Tags: Challenges, China, Hu Jintao, Reform, Unrest, Xi Jinping
New York Times (November 2)
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met with China’s President Hu Jintao to discuss several issues including climate change. The New York Time’s criticizes Mr. Ban for being “shamefully silent on one critical issue: China’s poor human rights record and its unjustified imprisonment of Liu Xiaobo,” who won a Nobel Peace Prize this year. Mr. Ban should hold China to its responsibilities as a signatory of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Tags: Ban Ki-moon, China, Hu Jintao, Human rights, Liu Xiaobo, U.N.
