Chinese Central Leadership Control

The disintegration of the Soviet Union had provided many lessons for China, chief of which is that economic reforms should outpace political reforms.

But there are other lessons as well.

Such as ensuring that China does not turn out like Boris Yeltsin's Russia, where regional governors acquired power bases independent of the center and hence were able to veto federal policies.

To ensure greater central control, both Jiang Zemin (江泽民) and Hu Jintao (胡锦涛) had reportedly placed their own followers and supporters in key positions throughout the country.

Indeed, Dali Yang even suggested that the central leadership's ability in appointing provincial and other officials had been a fundamental factor in China's successful economic stabilization and economic reforms in the 1990s.

According to Yang, the case of Guangdong (广东) was a particularly striking illustration.

"During the Asian financial crisis of 1997-1999, it was widely noted that the central leaders relied on party Secretary Li Changchun (李长春) (transferred from Henan, 河南) and Executive Vice Governor Wang Qishan (王歧山) (from the central government), both outsiders who were closely associated with Jiang Zemin and Zhu Rongji (朱镕基), respectively, to steer the course of financial stabilization and cleanup in Guangdong."

I say, good for China, but too bad for Russia.