Over the next 12 months, Chinese President and Communist Party chief Jiang Zemin will preside over one of the most important legacies of his rule: the handover of leadership to the next generation.
The so-called "fourth generation," led by Mr. Jiang's heir apparent Vice President Hu Jintao, is unlike any group of leaders to govern China.
"Because of their Cultural Revolution experience, this will be the most diverse, least ideological, and most capable generation of leaders in China's history," says Cheng Li, a professor and author of the book "China's Leaders."
... Hopeful analysts, such as Professor Li of Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., say the character and style of new leaders will alter the mindset of Chinese policies on foreign policy, US-China relations, unemployment, and development of the interior of China.
"You will see less dogmatism, and more rational decision making based on self-interest," Dr. Li says.
... Still, as they rise, fourth generation figures, especially "princelings" or the children of officials, use the "guanxi" system. As Li points out, graduates from Beijing's Tsinghua University are at least as tightly networked and connected as those of Harvard, Yale, and Oxford universities.
Li's interview was translated into Chinese and is the lead story in major dailies: http://www3.chinesenewsnet.com
