China's Hu emerges from shadow of predecessor

By Ben Blanchard and Benjamin Kang Lim

BEIJING (Reuters) - When Hu Jintao finally reached China's pinnacle of power as Communist Party chief in 2002 after a decade as heir apparent, he still faced formidable challenges.

His powerful predecessor, Jiang Zemin, still held the state presidency and top military post and had stacked so many proteges into the upper reaches of power that one political source commented: "Every way Hu looked, there was a Jiang man."

There was even a top Jiang ally, Vice President Zeng Qinghong, waiting in the wings to take over should Hu falter.

Months later, Hu began what analysts say has been a remarkably effective drive to neutralize key rivals, stake out a dramatic shift in policy direction and ultimately emerge from Jiang's shadow.

And when the Party convenes its 17th congress in mid-October he is expected to further tighten his hold by retiring as many Jiang holdovers as possible and stacking the top echelon, the Politburo Standing Committee, with his own men. He may even name his own heir apparent.

"Many people have consistently underestimated Hu Jintao," said Lin Chong-Pin, a veteran China watcher at Taiwan's private Tamkang University.

"Hu has done better than Jiang at comparable stages."

For years, Hu remained something of a mystery after he was helicoptered into the Politburo Standing Committee, the Party's decision-making centre in 1992 by then paramount leader Deng Xiaoping. At 49, he was its youngest member.