SARS Has Helped Hu Jintao Politically

The stir created by SARS has also been significantly affecting Chinese politics as well as diplomatic relations for the burgeoning economy.

The annual top leaders` meeting to be held this summer at the seaside tourist resort Heidaihe in Hebei province, might instead be held in a Beijing suburb because of SARS, Hong Kong media reported on May 15.

The meeting is important in that discussions will take place regarding the agenda for the upcoming annual general meeting of the Chinese Communist Party`s central committee to be held in autumn. The change in meeting places is unprecedented as the meeting has been customarily held in Heidaihe since the Mao Zedong administration. The change is likely to be made as leadership believes that it is not appropriate for Communist Party leaders to carry out official business at a tourist destination while the general populous still suffers from SARS.

The new leadership in China is likely to hold real power as they have gained trust from people for their efforts in stamping out SARS, such as changing the meeting location, the Asian Wall Street Journal in Hong Kong reported.

Chinese President Hu Jintao proposed a secret meeting with Chinese Military Chief Jiang Zemin last month as damage from SARS increased in China. During the meeting, Ju Jintao revealed the grim realities of a Beijing exposed to SARS and decided to sack the director of public health as well as the mayor of Beijing, the paper reported.

The paper also opined that Ju Jintao`s leadership will be more secure once SARS is completely eradicated.

Meanwhile, the issue of Taiwan`s joining the WHO is once again causing a stir as cases of SARS in Taiwan have dramatically increased, due to China permitting WHO inspectors into the country too late.

`China is lobbying to members of the WHO to prevent Taiwan from participating in the WHO as an observer, likened to kicking someone when their down,” Taiwan`s President Chen Shui-bian and Foreign Minister Eugene Chien said on May 15.

“Taiwan, as a province of China, is ineligible to participate in the WHO, an organization open only to sovereign nations," said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue, expressing discontent as the U.S. Congress passed a bill supporting Taiwan`s participation as an observer in the WHO.

In Taiwan, the number of SARS patients has increased to 238 and 34 people have died of SARS as of May 15.

”We may see an increase of 3,000 SARS infected patients in Taiwan,” the director of National University Hospital said.

Yoo-Sung Hwang yshwang@donga.com