Jiang Steps Aside But Keeps Clout

China's parliament elected a new president yesterday from the choice of one offered by the Communist Party - but it delivered a slap to his predecessor who is refusing to go quietly.

The National People's Congress (NPC) endorsed the appointment of 60-year-old Hu Jintao as expected. All but four of the delegates voted for him, signalling approval for his quiet, pro-reform approach to China's future.

His election was sealed by the outgoing president Jiang Zemin in a 'warm handshake' hailed by the media. Jiang was beaming broadly while Hu smiled a little tightly.

Jiang has hung on to his other state position as head of the central military commission - although on past precedent this should also have gone to Hu.

NPC delegates have only one way of showing unhappiness when faced with a ballot paper bearing only one name.

In contrast to the overwhelming vote for Hu as president, 220 out of the 2,950 delegates - 7.4 per cent of the total - either abstained or voted against Jiang's military post.

Although the vote is secret, such a gesture indicates considerable unhappiness among the hand-picked delegates.

The snub to Jiang is the strongest delivered against any national leader in the past decade except for former NPC head Li Peng - widely known as the 'butcher of the Beijing massacre'.

Jiang first indicated he wanted to hang on to power at the Communist Party congress last November when he remained head of the party's military committee. In a country where the military still holds considerable influence - it has the largest number of delegates to the NPC - the symbolism is obvious.

The new vice-president, Zeng Qinghong, a close ally of Jiang, did even worse yesterday: he failed to win the support of 12 per cent of the delegates.

Since becoming party head in November, Hu has moved skilfully to indicate that he will pursue a different agenda - without saying anything to provoke Jiang.

Hu and the incoming new premier Wen Jiabao both started their careers in the poor inland provinces, and have paid well-publicised visits to deprived rural areas to show their concern.

Hu has revived the slogan of 'plain living and hard struggle' which had been barely heard since the era of Chairman Mao.

It is now acceptable to speak in much stronger language about the problems of China's 500 million peasants, many of whom only survive on the remittances sent home by migrant workers.

Congress delegates have also denounced unemployment and China's appalling record of industrial accidents in stronger terms than before.

Analysts are divided on whether the Hu-Wen team will be able to reverse the widening divide between rich and poor, given the huge advantages of wealth and foreign investment already enjoyed by the booming urban sector.

In an event not known for fun and games, Jiang voted first for the cameras yesterday, followed dutifully by the rest of the leadership in order of political importance, and then by the rest of the delegates.

However, two voters took advantage of a write-in provision to make their own quiet comment on the proceedings: they filled in the name of Zhao Benshan, a TV comedian whose latest film is called Happy Times .

Wen will formally be elected today to succeed premier Zhu Rongji, who has been less successful in tackling social inequality than in promoting an annual GDP growth of 7 per cent.