Patron Former Minister Mentor, Singapore
Mr Lee Kuan Yew
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'CCP's longevity depends on peaceful succession'
The Straits Times
2010-07-13
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CHINA'S communist leaders will ensure a peaceful handover to the next generation of leaders, because they need that stability to continue one-party rule, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew opined yesterday.

He gave high marks to the abilities of younger leaders waiting in the wings, but singled out corruption among officials as the biggest threat to the Chinese Communist Party's survival.

His comments on the political succession in Beijing rounded off the first day of a conference that brought together prominent China commentators from around the world.

The FutureChina Global Forum, which wraps up today at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, is organised by Singapore networking group Business China, of which MM Lee is patron.

Last night's dialogue was moderated by Singapore Press Holdings' senior executive vice-president Robin Hu, who had asked Mr Lee: "Is the world naive to assume that political succession in China can happen without a power struggle?"
MM Lee noted in reply that the next generation leadership has already been installed, brokered through careful consensus by the party's 300-member Central Committee.

Through that system, Chinese Vice- President Xi Jinping has already emerged as the likely successor to President Hu Jintao, and Vice-Premier Li Keqiang as likely successor to Premier Wen Jiabao.

Such succession planning through consensus will continue into the future as the party "has every intention of staying in power, and they will if they maintain a united front", said Mr Lee.

Smooth handovers of power are relatively new in China, as the transition between former president Jiang Zemin and Mr Hu was the first peaceful transfer of power in the party's history.

The current President underwent a decade-long tutelage in key positions of party leadership, before taking over from Mr Jiang in 2002.

MM Lee acknowledged what many commentators have suggested: that Mr Hu may have preferred Mr Li, his protege in the Communist Youth League, to be installed as his successor at the last party congress in 2007.

But when consensus opinion within the party's central core favoured Mr Xi, then-Shanghai party secretary and princeling son of a high-ranking official, Mr Li "graciously took second position", said Mr Lee.

Having met Mr Xi and many of the younger provincial chiefs and mayors, MM Lee described the next generation of leaders as "very bright and of the highest calibre".

This, he said, was testimony to the party's careful selection and grooming of politicians: "I would say, party loyalties being equal, the most capable man gets the job."

Asked what he thought was China's biggest political problem, he singled out the rampant corruption among officials for creating disillusionment among the population.

"Hu Jintao says the biggest threat is corruption and it's a matter of life and death for the party. I absolutely agree," said MM Lee. Everyone should be equal before the law, as corruption would weaken faith in the party and aggravate social unrest, he added.

The gap between wealthy coastal cities and the impoverished interior is another thorny issue for China. In his view, the fastest way to solve this would be to build more high-speed railways and roads so people can move freely between the interior and the coast.


Courtesy of The Straits Times, 13 July 2010.
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