TNAG-2804-FCO40-4044-National-People-s-Congress-and-Chinese-People-s-Political-Co-1993 — Page 6

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MDHI 6000

BASIC LAW FOR MACAO AFTER IT BECOMES A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE

REGION OF THE PRC IN DECEMBER 1999, TWO AND A HALF YEARS AFTER HONG KONG. THE CONGRESS ALSO ELECTED ITS STANDING COMMITTEE, WHICH MEETS SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR AND IS EMPOWERED TO ENACT LEGISLATION AND PERFORM MANY OF THE OTHER FUNCTIONS OF THE FULL NPC.

APPOINTMENTS

4.

ALL HIGH-LEVEL GOVERNMENT POSTS CAME UP FOR RE-ELECTION AT THE

CONGRESS. THERE WAS ONLY ONE CANDIDATE ON THE BALLOT PAPER FOR EACH JOB, THOUGH IN A FEW CASES DELEGATES COULD WRITE IN ALTERNATIVES: ONLY A HANDFUL AVAILED THEMSELVES OF THIS DEVICE TO CAST ROGUE VOTES. THE OUTCOME WAS A CONFIRMATION AND STRENGTHENING OF THE COLLECTIVE LEADERSHIP THAT EMERGED FROM THE 14TH PARTY CONGRESS LAST AUTUMN. PARTY GENERAL SECRETARY JIANG ZEMIN WAS APPOINTED STATE PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN OF THE STATE MILITARY COMMISSION, MAKING HIM THE HOLDER OF THE HIGHEST PARTY, STATE AND MILITARY POSITIONS. THERE MAY HOWEVER BE LESS TO THIS CONCENTRATION OF TOP OFFICES THAN MEETS THE EYE: THERE COULD BE A PLAN TO PERSUADE JIANG TO CONCENTRATE ON THE HEAD OF STATE JOB, LEAVING THE DIRECTION OF THE PARTY EFFECTIVELY IN OTHER HANDS. PREMIER LI PENG WAS GIVEN A SECOND TERM, AS WAS VICE-PREMIER ZHU RONGJI. LAST AUTUMN THERE WERE HOPES THAT LI PENG MIGHT BE DITCHED, BUT THESE WITHERED FAST. NEW VICE PREMIERS INCLUDE QIAN QICHEN WHO REMAINS FOREIGN MINISTER AND LI LANQING, FORMERLY FOREIGN ECONOMIC RELATIONS AND TRADE MINISTER.

5. EXCEPT FOR THE (CEREMONIAL) VICE-PRESIDENCY, NOW FILLED BY RONG YIREN, THE ''RED CAPITALIST'' WHO STANDS DOWN AS CHAIRMAN OF THE CITIC CORPORATION, ALL CHINA'S TOP STATE POSTS ARE NOW HELD BY MEMBERS OF THE THE PARTY'S INNERMOST CORE, THE POLITBURO STANDING COMMITTEE. OF THE 7 STANDING COMMITTEE MEMBERS, ONLY HU JINTAO DID NOT GAIN A SENIOR STATE POST. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT HU HAS BEEN SNUBBED OR MARGINALISED. BARELY 50, HE IS MUCH THE YOUNGEST OF THE TOP LEADERS AND IS PROBABLY BEING GROOMED AS THE LEADER OF THE ''FOURTH GENERATION''. BUT LITTLE WAS DONE TO SWELL THE RANKS OF THIS GENERATION: ONLY TWO OF THE NEWLY APPOINTED MINISTERS ARE YOUNGER THAN HU. INSTEAD, THE PERSONNEL CHANGES SEEMED TO FOCUS ON REINFORCING THE PRESENT ''THIRD GENERATION'' LEADERSHIP TO CARRY ON DENG XIAOPING'S REFORM POLICIES AFTER HE HAS GONE. ABOUT HALF THE CABINET STAYED ON. MANY OF THE NEW APPOINTEES CAN BE IDENTIFIED AS TECHNOCRATS.

POLICY

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