6. AMONG THE MORE SERIOUS OF HU'S WEAKNESSES IS HIS LACK OF STANDING WITH THE ARMED FORCES. ALTHOUGH HE TOOK PART IN THE LONG MARCH, HE AS SHORT ON MILITARY EXPERIENCE AND HIS ROLE #N THE CIVIL WARS AND THE WAR AGAINST JAPAN WAS MINOR COMPARED TO THAT OF THE ELDERLY MARSHALS WHOM HE NOW OUT-RANKS IN THE PARTY. DESPITE ATTEMPTS TO RAISE HU'S STANDING WITH THE MILITARY, HE HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO TAKE ON THE CHARMANSHIP OF THE PARTY'S CENTRAL MILITARY COMMISSION (STILL HELD BY DENG XIMAOPIENG), WHICH IN THE PAST HAS BEEN A CRUCIFAL ELEMENT IN GAIMING AND MAINTAINING POLITICAL POWER.
7. WHEN HE WAS FIRST RECOGNISED BY OUTSIDERS TO BE DENG XIAOPING'S CHOSEN SUCCESSOR, HU WAS AN ACTIVE 65 YEAR OLD. HE REMAINS ACTIVE, BUT HE IS NOW #NTO HIS 70'S. DENG'S LONGEVITY IS A FACTOR WHICH WORKS BOTH FOR AN AGAINST HU. DENG'S CONTINUED PRESENCE SHELTERS HU FROM OPPOSITION WHICH MIGHT OTHERWISE UNDERMINE HIM. DELAYS HIS SUCCESSION: THE TIME IS APPROACHING WHEN HE MIGHT BE
BUT #T ALSO CONSIDERED TOO OLD TO TAKE OVER DENG'S POSTS. HOW HE WOULD WORK WITH ZHAO ZIYANG WITHOUT THE FINAL ARBITRATION OF DENG XIOAPING NS A FURTHER UNKNOWN ELEMENT. ZHAO IS WIDELY REGARDED AS A MAN WITH A GREATER ALL-ROUND ABILITY. HE IS ALSO FOUR YEARS YOUNGER. SEEMS UNLIKELY, HOWEVER, THAT HU WILL DISAPPEAR FROM CHINESE
SIT POLITICS EVEN #F HE HS SOON SUCCEEDED BY HU QILF AS GENERAL SECRETARY, SO LONG AS HE REMAINS ACTIVE.
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