Navigator News (Coverage Ranks) Activities41806 Event41654 China-U.S.3143 2002 Hu Jintao U.S. Trip 27 2002 Hu Jintao U.S. Trip Year 2002 27 People Hu Jintao 14 Nations U.S. 27 Malaysia 27 China 27 Singapore 27 Occur U.S. 27 Singapore 27 Related People Jiang Zemin 22 Hu Jintao 14 Colin Powell 7 Nancy Pelosi 1 Li Zhaoxing 1 Events China-U.S. 27 China-U.S.-Taiwan Relations 2 2002 Sino-US Row Over Taiwan 2 Taiwan-U.S. Military Relations 2 China-Malaysia 1 China-Singapore 1 China-U.S. Military Relations 1 China-Taiwan 1

China opens new diplomatic doors in Singapore SINGAPORE - Judging by the size and splendour of China's new embassy, the importance of diplomatic and economic ties with Singapore is nothing short of monumental. 2002-05-23 People: [Jiang Zemin] Activities: [China-Singapore] [2002 Hu Jintao U.S. Trip] China's Hu steps abroad with power at home in view BEIJING - Hu Jintao, the man tipped to become China's next leader, is a deft politician who has kept experts and colleagues guessing about his personality and ideology since he was anointed heir apparent 10 years ago. As a sweeping leadership change looms, Hu has taken a series of carefully choreographed steps into the limelight to boost his status at home and abroad -- the latest and most significant being a trip to the United States that ended on Saturday. But while he has demonstrated obvious talents as a politician -- and a firm grasp of the Communist Party line -- Hu has given few clues as to how he will govern the world's most populous nation when he takes over its top jobs. Now vice president, Hu, 59, is the favourite to succeed Jiang Zemin as Communist Party boss at a five-yearly congress in September or October and as president at a parliament meeting in 2003. Yet nothing is set in stone in the opaque world of succession politics and Chinese history is littered with heirs apparent who never made it. To avoid a similar fate, Hu must establish his leadership credentials without upstaging Jiang or alienating China's increasingly diverse interest groups. "The last thing anybody wants to do usually in the three or four months before a party congress is to undertake anything that could be considered as new, bold, or contentious," Tony Saich, a China specialist at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, said. "Normally people just like to keep their heads down until everything is finalised." CARDS CLOSE TO CHEST Hu rejects the media's portrayal of him as a mystery man. "That description is not fair to me," he said in a rare off-the-cuff remark to reporters in Malaysia last month. But he left it at that. China watchers say they still know precious little about him except that he likes dancing and table tennis and is said to have a photographic memory. Hu offered no further insights in meetings with U.S. officials last week. "It was a very scripted meeting in that, as vice president, he did not come to the United States to make new policy or to break the mould," said one participant in Hu's meeting with U.S President George W. Bush in Washington last week. "He came here representing the Chinese government, and very faithfully spoke the Chinese government positions." Whether those positions reflect his own views is a moot point. Some call him a political hardliner, pointing to his role in suppressing pro-independence protests in Tibet as party chief there in 1988-89 and his speech backing anti-U.S. protests after the NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade in 1999. Others see him as a reformist, citing his leadership of the Communist Party School, a think-tank pioneering ideological reform which has been studying "new" socialist parties in Europe. But his political survival, despite rumoured differences with Jiang, is proof of his formidable skills as a networker and consensus builder. "Hu is in many ways far more capable than Jiang Zemin," said Cheng Li, professor of government at Hamilton College in New York. "There are obvious tensions between them." Most notably, Jiang has his own favourite, Zeng Qinghong, who heads the party's powerful Organisation Department. And Jiang is widely believed to harbour ambitions to cling to power from "behind the curtain" -- most likely as head of the Central Military Commission -- after his retirement. LEADER OF A NEW GENERATION Hu was effectively anointed Jiang's successor when he was promoted to the all powerful, seven-man Politburo Standing Committee by the late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping in 1992. Prior to that he headed the party in dirt-poor Guizhou and then in Tibet. The promotion was potentially a poisoned chalice. China has had a string of anointed heirs who never made it. Hua Guofeng, named successor by Mao Zedong, was toppled by Deng in the late 1970s. Deng's first handpicked successor, Hu Yaobang, was ousted by party hardliners in 1987 and his second choice, Zhao Ziyang, was purged for sympathising with student-led demonstrations for democracy in Beijing in 1989 that were crushed by the army. Not least because of his low profile, Hu has avoided falling victim to such factional infighting, so far. Now ranked fifth in the Communist Party hierarchy, he is the youngest member of the Politburo Standing Committee and vice chairman of the Central Military Commission. FOURTH GENERATION FIGUREHEAD He has become the figurehead of the "fourth generation" of leaders after Mao Zedong, Deng and Jiang. "Hu's rapid elevation through the Party's echelons is a reflection of the Party's long endeavour to cultivate and promote young cadres," said his official biography on the Web site of the People's Daily, the Communist Party newspaper. "Long years of work in remote and poor areas inhabited by ethnic minorities have tempered Hu's character as well as made him a staunch supporter of the policies of reform and door opening," it said. One of Hu's weaknesses, however, is his lack of experience on the international stage. His diplomatic debut in the West came only last year, when he visited Europe. And then in February he had a brief meeting with Bush in Beijing. So his tour of the United States, taking in Honolulu, New York, Washington and San Francisco, was a crucial chance for him to burnish his political credentials. "As when Deng and Jiang visited the U.S., this trip really consolidates Hu's position at home," said a Western diplomat. "But with a few months until the congress, it does not make him unassailable." Reuters 2002-05-05 People: [Hu Jintao] [Jiang Zemin] Activities: [2002 Hu Jintao U.S. Trip] [China-U.S.] China Vice President visits Silicon Valley SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Chinese Vice President Hu Jintao wrapped up his inaugural visit to the United States on Friday with stops in the heart of Silicon Valley, including a visit to build relations with Intel Corp. (INTC.O), the world's largest semiconductor manufacturer. Hu, expected to take over from Jiang Zemin as head of the Communist Party this year and as China's president in 2003, met with Intel Chairman Andy Grove and Chief Executive Craig Barrett, who both told Hu of China's strategic importance to Santa Clara, California-based Intel, said company spokesman Chuck Mulloy. In turn, "the vice president told Craig and Andy that technology is strategically important to the growth of China's economy," Mulloy said. "It was a relationship-building visit." Hu's Silicon Valley tour highlighted the growing technological relationship between the United States and China, which is aggressively seeking to broaden its own place in the world's high-tech marketplaces. Intel officials say that for the last five years, China has been the fastest growing market for the 34-year-old chipmaker in the Asia-Pacific region. In the first quarter, the Asia-Pacific market excluding Japan accounted for 31 percent of Intel's $6.78 billion in revenue. Intel has invested about $500 million in China in the last five years, Mulloy said. The company has two assembly and test plants in China, as well as research and development centers in Beijing and Shanghai. Intel has said that one out of every two new microprocessors -- the brains of a personal computer -- sold in the next five years will be into emerging markets such as China and Latin America. Most U.S. high-technology companies are focusing increasingly on China as an important growth market. Computer networking company Cisco Systems Inc., for example, has been investing aggressively in Asia, as well as China, for at least the past five years. Hu's Intel visit was requested by the Chinese government, Mulloy said. Hu, who arrived in the United States on Saturday, came to the San Francisco Bay Area on Wednesday from Washington, where he met President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. Following brief talks with Grove, Barrett and other senior Intel executives, Hu was given a preview of coming technology and gizmos, including a pen with software that recognizes Chinese characters and the prototype for a handheld digital assistant for officials to use in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Hu is due to return to China on Friday following the Silicon Valley tour and a meeting with local Chinese-American leaders. Reuters 2002-05-04 People: [Hu Jintao] [Jiang Zemin] Activities: [2002 Hu Jintao U.S. Trip] [China-U.S.] China's Hu hails successful U.S. trip SAN FRANCISCO - Chinese Vice President Hu Jintao, fresh from an inaugural visit to Washington as his country's next probable leader, on Thursday hailed his U.S. trip as a resounding success. "Let us work together to create an even better future for U.S.-China relations," a smiling Hu said at a speech in San Francisco, the final stop of his first official U.S. trip. Hu, who is expected to take over from Jiang Zemin as head of the Communist Party this year and as China's president in 2003, arrived in California from Washington, where he met President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and other senior U.S. officials on Wednesday. In a speech Wednesday evening, Hu warned that "trouble" over Taiwan could set back improving U.S.-China ties but said the overall trend in the relationship was positive and the future bright. In San Francisco, Hu was scheduled to hold talks with California Gov. Gray Davis as well as meet local political and business leaders in a city with long historical ties to China. Thursday's welcoming banquet, hosted by San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, was attended by senior officials from Bechtel, ChevronTexaco and J.P. Morgan Chase as well as by a selection of California Olympic athletes. Hu -- widely regarded as a mysterious figure despite his growing political power in Beijing -- appeared happy and relaxed, saying he was leaving the United States impressed by the desire of the American people to further friendly relations with China. "I take the friendly sentiments of the U.S. people back with me," he said. Echoing his speech in Washington, Hu said that difficulties and tests were sure to present themselves as the United States and China negotiate a future which looks likely to be complicated by the issue of Taiwan -- which Beijing regards as a renegade province -- as well as trade and economic tensions. But he said he was heartened by his talks with Bush and Cheney, and felt confident Sino-U.S. links would prosper. "Difficulties can always be overcome," Hu said, adding that the two sides should redouble their efforts to promote a constructive relationship. As with other stops on his U.S. itinerary, Hu was greeted in San Francisco by pro-China demonstrators and protesters espousing Taiwan independence, Tibetan rights and the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement. Approximately 250 demonstrators gathered outside the hotel where he was speaking chanting: "You are the butchers" and "Shame on China." Hu, who arrived in the United States Saturday, was due to return to China after meeting with local Chinese-American leaders Friday. Reuters 2002-05-03 People: [Hu Jintao] [Jiang Zemin] Activities: [2002 Hu Jintao U.S. Trip] [China-U.S.] Chinese VP Hu Warns U.S. on Taiwan WASHINGTON - The man likely to be China's next leader and top U.S. officials agreed to resume military exchanges and increase cooperation after first-ever meetings that both sides called a success. But Vice President Hu Jintao, giving Americans an initial glimpse into his thinking, warned Wednesday that ``any trouble'' on Taiwan could hurt the two countries' improving relations. He also strongly defended his country's human rights record, saying Chinese law already guarantees freedom of religious belief and ``normal'' religious activities. President Bush told Hu he expected the two countries can resolve their differences on a wide range of issues, including Taiwan and human rights, and said he was pleased with the overall state of U.S-China relations, Bush's spokesman said following their 30-minute meeting at the White House. Hu is little known in the United States, but is widely expected to become China's president next year. He reached only one substantive agreement during his first visit here: He and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld agreed that military exchanges between the two countries should be restored, Hu's spokeswoman, Zhang Qiyue, said. For more than a year there has been little contact between the U.S. military and China's People's Liberation Army. Last spring, the collision of a U.S. spy plane with a Chinese fighter jet and Bush's later approval of a substantial arms package for Taiwan caused some tensions. Hu, in a speech Wednesday night to a pro-business group - his only public appearance in Washington - called Taiwan ``the most important and sensitive issue at the heart of U.S.-Chinese relations,'' and said ``properly handling'' it was the key to good relations. ``If any trouble occurs on the Taiwan question, it would be difficult for China-U.S. relations to move forward, and a retrogression may even occur,'' he said. He warned that ``selling sophisticated weaponry to Taiwan or upgrading U.S.-Taiwan relations'' would be inconsistent with U.S. commitments and serve ``neither peace and stability for the Taiwan Strait, nor China-U.S. relationship and the common interests of the two countries.'' China and Taiwan split amid civil war in 1949, and Beijing, which regards Taiwan as a renegade province, has threatened military action if the island declares independence. The Bush administration, viewed as more pro-Taiwan than the previous administration, seeks ``a peaceful resolution of any differences between the People's Republic of China and Taiwan,'' said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer. ``We do not wish to see provocation on either side of the Taiwan Strait.'' Hu said he believed an overwhelming majority of the Taiwanese people would eventually support the idea of peaceful reunification. There was no immediate response from government officials in Taiwan, where media extensively covered Hu's meetings in Washington. At the White House meeting, Bush and Hu discussed Taiwan, human rights, trade, the war on terrorism, agricultural issues and missile proliferation, Fleischer said. Hu's spokeswoman said that after the talks Hu was more confident about the future relationship. Bush and Hu previously had met briefly in Beijing in February. But Hu was largely unknown to U.S. leaders before this trip, and many of his meetings were private get-acquainted sessions. During his public speech and during a brief question-and-answer period, Hu adhered closely to the phrases in his prepared text. But many in the audience of pro-business people said his answers showed a good grasp of details. On human rights, Hu said it had been no easy task ``for a big developing country like China with a population of nearly 1.3 billion to have so considerably improved its human rights situation in such a short period of time.'' But outside the hotel where Hu spoke, Cathy Jin, a practitioner of the Falun Gong spiritual group banned in China, called Hu's claim of religious freedom inside China false. ``Really, all we hope is that people can have the freedom of their beliefs,'' she said as she handed out pamphlets. Before the vice president spoke, about 100 protesters shouted, ``Hu Jintao is a killer, Hu Jintao is a butcher'' across the street from the hotel, protesting his previous role as China's top official in Tibet, which seeks autonomy from China. AP 2002-05-02 People: [Hu Jintao] Activities: [2002 Hu Jintao U.S. Trip] [China-U.S.] Headlines China opens new diplomatic doors in Singapore 2002-05-23 China's Hu steps abroad with power at home in view 2002-05-05 China Vice President visits Silicon Valley 2002-05-04 China's Hu hails successful U.S. trip 2002-05-03 Chinese VP Hu Warns U.S. on Taiwan 2002-05-02 U.S., China VP Agree on Closer Ties 2002-05-02 Hu holds get-acquainted talks with Bush, Cheney 2002-05-01 Cheney Meets China Vice President 2002-05-01 Taiwan on agenda as Bush, Cheney meet China's Hu 2002-05-01 Chinese Vice President to Meet Bush, Cheney 2002-05-01 China's VP Hu Jintao in DC for Visit 2002-04-30 Hu in Washington to meet Bush 2002-04-30 Chinese VP Visit Could Start Change 2002-04-30 China's Hu faces protests in Washington 2002-04-30 Hu Jintao rang bell for NYSE 2002-04-29 Bush, Cheney to find out more about who's Hu 2002-04-29 Chinese VP Begins Visit to U.S. 2002-04-27 China's Hu leaves Singapore for talks with US 2002-04-27 Bush to Meet Asian Leaders 2002-04-27 China's openness to spur $1.5 trln in trade 2002-04-24 Hu visits Malaysia on way to U.S. 2002-04-23 China Leader-To-Be Hu To Visit U.S. 2002-04-22 China's Hu steps into the spotlight with U.S. tour 2002-04-21 China's heir apparent Hu to visit U.S., SE Asia 2002-04-12 China: VP Still Planning U.S. Trip 2002-03-28 China says navy ships will not visit U.S. ports 2002-03-21 China raps U.S. on Taiwan ahead of Hu visit 2002-03-21 Most-viewed China opens new diplomatic doors in Singapore 2002-05-23 Chinese VP Hu Warns U.S. on Taiwan 2002-05-02 China Leader-To-Be Hu To Visit U.S. 2002-04-22 China's Hu steps abroad with power at home in view 2002-05-05 China Vice President visits Silicon Valley 2002-05-04 China's Hu hails successful U.S. trip 2002-05-03 U.S., China VP Agree on Closer Ties 2002-05-02 Hu holds get-acquainted talks with Bush, Cheney 2002-05-01 Cheney Meets China Vice President 2002-05-01 Taiwan on agenda as Bush, Cheney meet China's Hu 2002-05-01 Chinese Vice President to Meet Bush, Cheney 2002-05-01 China's Hu faces protests in Washington 2002-04-30 Hu in Washington to meet Bush 2002-04-30 Hu Jintao rang bell for NYSE 2002-04-29 Bush, Cheney to find out more about who's Hu 2002-04-29 Chinese VP Begins Visit to U.S. 2002-04-27 China's openness to spur $1.5 trln in trade 2002-04-24 China's Hu steps into the spotlight with U.S. tour 2002-04-21 China: VP Still Planning U.S. Trip 2002-03-28 China says navy ships will not visit U.S. ports 2002-03-21 China's VP Hu Jintao in DC for Visit 2002-04-30 Chinese VP Visit Could Start Change 2002-04-30 China's Hu leaves Singapore for talks with US 2002-04-27 Bush to Meet Asian Leaders 2002-04-27 Hu visits Malaysia on way to U.S. 2002-04-23

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