Tibet Unrest Clouding Chinese Leader’s 2nd Term

China’s new governing body was formally launched Sunday, comprised of President Hu Jintao, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People`s Congress Wu Bangguo, and Premier Wen Jiabao. The new government will lead China for the next five years.

The National People’s Congress, the highest legislative body in China, held its sixth plenary meeting of the first session of the 11th National People’s Congress Sunday. Hu, Wu and Wen were all reappointed to their posts.

With the new term for China’s leadership instituted, a large demonstration broke out in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, demanding independence for the ethnic minority. This development is casting a dark cloud over the political future of the new governing body. While state-run Chinese media such as New China News Agency bannered the start of the new-look leadership, foreign media focused more on the oppression of the Tibetan demonstrators, weakening the news on the new leadership.

China’s government also faces many tasks, including a successful hosting of the Summer Olympics in Beijing, taming inflation and stabilizing the country’s overheated economy.

Xi Jinping, member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (ranking fifth in power), was officially appointed vice president. Accordingly, Xi has reaffirmed his superiority to Li Keqiang, another committee member who ranks sixth in the Chinese hierarchy.

Xi, however, failed to be appointed vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, signaling that his competition with Li, who will be named vice commerce minister of the State Council, is not over.

Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan, who must retire this year because of the age limit, was not named a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission. Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou, members of the Political Bureau of the party’s Central Committee, were re-appointed vice chairmen of the commission.

Cao Jianming was appointed China’s top prosecutor, taking over as procurator-general of the Supreme People’s Procurators.

orionha@donga.com