English: Chinese leader Jiang Zemin signature. 中文: 中国国家主席江泽民的签名。 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Jiang Zemin is popular with the Chinese military, who favour taking a much harder line against America and the West.
Xi is more popular with the people and despite recent economic difficulties is tough and fleet of foot enough to stay ahead of the curve, reposition the Chinese economy and thus be in a position to allow the military buildup to continue at 11.5% a year.
Rooting out corruption gives ordinary people hope and it helps to move China up the various UN indices such as HDI and the Corruption Perception index.
These are critical to ratings agencies and to inward investors considering where to put their money in one country versus another.
My money is on Xi as the more farsighted and strategic of the two men who the West would find it easiest to do business with in the long run and who our leaders will have to deal with for good or ill.
Dr Alf may see the situation differently, with the rivalry creating internal strife in the “Middle Kingdom”, and some Western leaders may see an opportunity for mischief making. In the present volatile state of the world these Western leaders should be careful what they wish for and remain unattached but vigilant.
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