Editing Hu Jintao (section)

===Succeeding Jiang===
[[File:中國國家主席胡錦濤.jpg|thumb|left|Hu speaks as General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President of China]]
On 15 November 2002, after the [[16th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party]], a new Hu Jintao-led Politburo nominally succeeded Jiang's, while Hu became the CCP general secretary, effectively making him the [[paramount leader]]. Additionally, [[Wen Jiabao]] became the premier. However, Jiang was re-elected to the post of [[Chairman of the Central Military Commission (China)|chairman of the Central Military Commission]], the top military body, despite Hu taking over as the general secretary.<ref>{{Cite thesis |title=胡錦濤與江澤民的權力分配與權力互動（2003.11-2004.9） |url=https://www.airitilibrary.com/Publication/alDetailedMesh1?DocID=U0002-1307201513580400 |publisher=淡江大學 |date=2015 |degree=Master's Thesis |doi=10.6846/tku.2015.00333 |language=zh |first=陳世 |last=豪 |access-date=28 October 2020 |archive-date=1 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101020222/https://www.airitilibrary.com/Publication/alDetailedMesh1?DocID=U0002-1307201513580400 |url-status=live}}</ref> Jiang resigned as CMC chairman in September 2004, his last official post. Following Jiang's stepping-down, Hu had officially taken on the three institutions in the People's Republic of China where power lie; the party, the state, as well as the [[People's Liberation Army|military]].

Although Jiang, then 76, stepped down as general secretary and from the Politburo Standing Committee to make way for a younger leadership, there was speculation that Jiang would retain significant influence because Hu was not associated with Jiang's influential [[Shanghai clique]], to which six out of the nine members of the all-powerful Standing Committee were believed to be linked. However, later developments show that many of its members had shifted their positions. [[Zeng Qinghong]], for example, moved from a disciple of Jiang to serving as an intermediary between the two factions.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wu |first=Zhong |date=7 February 2007 |title=Power in China: Through a glass, darkly |work=[[Asia Times]] |url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/IB07Ad01.html |url-status=unfit |access-date=16 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080709012943/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/IB07Ad01.html |archive-date=9 July 2008}}</ref>

Hu was mostly conservative on political reforms during his tenure.<ref>{{cite news |last=Luard |first=Tim |date=11 January 2005 |title=China's leader shows his stripes |work=[[BBC News]] |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4165209.stm |url-status=live |access-date=13 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100822154247/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4165209.stm |archive-date=22 August 2010}}</ref> In the beginning of 2006, Hu launched the "[[Eight Honors and Eight Shames]]" movement in a bid to promote a more selfless and moral outlook amongst the population.<ref name="Ewing, 2003" /> At the [[17th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party|17th CCP National Congress]], Hu was re-elected as general secretary of the Central Committee and chairman of the CCP Central Military Commission on 22 October 2007. At the [[11th National People's Congress]], Hu was re-elected as president on 15 March 2008. He was also re-elected as chairman of the PRC Central Military Commission.<ref>{{Cite news |date=15 March 2008 |title=Hu Jintao reelected Chinese president |work=[[China Daily]] |agency=[[Xinhua News Agency]] |url=https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008npc/2008-03/15/content_6539302.htm |access-date=7 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304055352/http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008npc/2008-03/15/content_6539302.htm |archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref>