Editing Hu Jintao (section)

===Domestic policy===
====SARS crisis====
The first crisis of Hu's leadership happened during the [[2002–2004 SARS outbreak|outbreak of SARS]] in 2003. Following strong criticism of China for initially covering up and responding slowly to the crisis, he dismissed several party and government officials, including the health minister, who supported Jiang, and the [[Mayor of Beijing]], [[Meng Xuenong]], widely perceived as Hu's protégé.<ref name="Ewing, 2003"/>

[[File:Hu Jintao and Barack Obama 2009.jpg|thumb|Hu talks with U.S. President [[Barack Obama]] at the [[2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit]]]]
[[File:George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush with Hu Jintao.jpg|thumb|right|Hu with U.S. President [[George W. Bush]] and former U.S. president [[George H. W. Bush]] in Beijing, 10 August 2008]]

====Economic policies====
Hu and [[Wen Jiabao]] took a more conservative approach towards reforms, and began to reverse some of Deng Xiaoping's reforms in 2005. Observers note that the government adopted more egalitarian and populist policies.<ref>{{harvnb|Naughton|2008|p=129}}</ref> The administration increased subsidies and control over the health care sector,<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Ramzy |first=Austin |date=9 April 2009 |title=China's New Healthcare Could Cover Millions More |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |url=https://time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1890306,00.html |access-date=16 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130826183344/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1890306,00.html |archive-date=26 August 2013}}</ref> increased funding for education, halted privatization,<ref name="scissors">{{cite journal |last1=Scissors |first1=Derek |date=May–June 2009 |title=Deng Undone: The Costs of Halting Market Reform in China |url=http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/64947/derek-scissors/deng-undone |url-status=live |journal=[[Foreign Affairs]] |volume=88 |issue=3 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150421035402/http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/64947/derek-scissors/deng-undone |archive-date=21 April 2015 |access-date=30 September 2014}}</ref> and adopted a loose monetary policy, which led to the formation of a U.S.-style property bubble in which property prices tripled.<ref>Chovanec, Patrick (8 June 2009). [http://www.feer.com/economics/2009/june53/Chinas-Real-Estate-Riddle "China's Real Estate Riddle"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090614235233/http://www.feer.com/economics/2009/june53/Chinas-Real-Estate-Riddle|date=14 June 2009}}. ''Far East Economic Review''. Retrieved 13 March 2010.</ref>

The privileged state sector was the primary recipient of government investment, which, under the new administration, promoted the rise of large [[national champions]] which could compete with large foreign corporations.<ref name="scissors" /> During Hu's administration, the Chinese government increasingly funded the consolidation of [[State-owned enterprises of China|state-owned enterprises]] (SOEs), supplying massive subsidies and favoring SOEs in regulatory matters.<ref name=":9" />{{Rp|page=217}} These efforts helped SOEs to crowd out foreign and domestic private sector competitors.<ref name=":9" />{{Rp|page=217}} Nevertheless, the share of SOEs in the total number of companies have continued to fall, dropping to 5%, though their share of total output remained at 26%. Exchange rates for the yuan were also liberalized and the peg to the [[United States dollar|U.S. dollar]] was broken, leading the yuan to rise by 31% against the dollar from 2005 to 2012.<ref name=":27">{{Cite news |last=Orlik |first=Tom |date=16 November 2012 |title=Charting China's Economy: 10 Years Under Hu |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-CJB-16841 |access-date=7 June 2023}}</ref> China's economic growth has averaged around 10% under Hu, while the economy surpassed the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Japan.<ref>{{Cite news |date=14 February 2011 |title=China overtakes Japan as world's second-biggest economy |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-12427321 |access-date=7 June 2023 |archive-date=6 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190806095433/https://www.bbc.com/news/business-12427321 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":27" />

After taking over, Hu and Wen proposed to set up a [[Harmonious Society]] which aimed at lessening inequality and changing the style of the "GDP first and Welfare Second" policies.<ref name="Kuhn">{{cite web |title=Kuhn, Robert Lawrence: Hu's Political Philosophies |url=http://www.esnips.com/doc/907de9f2-a212-46b3-9efe-d23813bc03f3/Kuhn-Media-Press-Hu-Jintao.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325103630/http://www.esnips.com/doc/907de9f2-a212-46b3-9efe-d23813bc03f3/Kuhn-Media-Press-Hu-Jintao.pdf |archive-date=25 March 2009 |access-date=13 March 2010 |publisher=Esnips.com}}</ref> They focused on sectors of the Chinese population that had been left behind by the economic reform, and took a number of high-profile trips to the poorer areas of China with the stated goal of understanding these areas better. Hu and Wen Jiabao also attempted to move China away from a policy of favouring economic growth at all costs and toward a more balanced view of growth that includes factors in social inequality and environmental damage, including the use of the [[green gross domestic product]] in personnel decisions. Jiang's clique, however, maintained control in most developing areas; as a result, Hu and Wen's macroeconomic regulation measures faced great resistance.<ref name="Ewing, 2003" />

==== Media ====
In media policy, Hu discussed the idea of "channeling" public opinion, a term he first used in a 23 January 2007 Politburo meeting.<ref name=":Wang">{{Cite book |last=Wang |first=Frances Yaping |title=The Art of State Persuasion: China's Strategic Use of Media in Interstate Disputes |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2024 |isbn=9780197757512}}</ref>{{Rp|page=71}} Hu stated that the Party should "grasp the online discourse power, enhance our ability to channel [[Internet in China|online]] discussions, emphasize the art of 'channeling', actively leverage new technologies, increase positive coverage, and promote a positive mainstream discourse."<ref name=":Wang" />{{Rp|page=71}} In an online discussion via the Strong China Forum, Hu stated that China should "strengthen our [[Mass media in China|traditional media]] and new media and form a new setting for channeling public opinion".<ref name=":Wang" />{{Rp|pages=71-72}}

====Tibet====
{{Main|2008 Tibetan unrest}}

====Hong Kong====
{{Main|Democratic development in Hong Kong}}
[[File:2012七一遊行 3.jpg|thumb|Protests against Hu in [[Hong Kong]], July 2012]]