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Hu elected Chinese communist party chief

Hu, 59, was elected to head the world's largest political party when the first plenum of the 16th party congress met in Beijing at the Great Hall of the People, party sources said.

Hu's election was almost ensured on Thursday when Chinese President Jiang Zemin, 76, and five of his senior colleagues in the politburo standing committee decided to retire, allowing a new generation of CPC leaders to rule the world's most populous country.

Hu was the only one left untouched by the sweeping changes revealed at the weeklong congress, which ended in Beijing on Thursday.

Trained as an engineer, Hu rose through the Communist Youth League and served as the party chief in Tibet.

In 1992, he joined the politburo, the party's highest decision-making body, and at about the same time was picked up by the late Chinese patriarch Deng Xiaoping to succeed Jiang.

Vice-president since March 1998, Hu is also Jiang's deputy at the powerful Central Military Commission.

PTI

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