Hu Jintao - Legacy

Legacy

Most external observers agree that Hu presided over a decade of consistent economic growth, led China through the storm of the global financial crisis relatively unscathed, and increased China's international stature immensely. The Hu Administration is also credited with modernizing China's infrastructure, the launch of China's first manned spaceprobe, and the success of two international events: the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2010 Shanghai Expo. In addition, Hu's "soft approach" to Taiwan, coinciding with the election of a Kuomintang government in Taipei, was credited for having improved relationship between mainland China and Taiwan. Trade and contact between the two sides increased significantly during Hu's tenure. In addition, Hu and Premier Wen Jiabao's populist policies have resulted in the elimination of agricultural taxes for farmers, more flexible policies towards migrant workers living in cities, more balanced development between the coastal regions and the hinterlands, enforcing minimum wage in cities and the promotion of sustainable and affordable housing developments. Generally speaking, these policies have been well received by the Chinese public.

In foreign policy, Hu's critics say that his government has been overly aggressive in asserting its new power, overestimated its reach, and raised the ire and apprehension of various neighbours, including Southeast Asian countries, India, and Japan. Such policies are also said to be provocative towards the United States. Domestic critics, including the country's elites, intellectuals, and particularly dissidents, point to various shortcomings of the Hu administration and his failure in implementing his signature "Harmonious Society" policy. They cite, for example, that China's internal security budget has exceeded its military budget during Hu's tenure as protests and other 'mass incidents' continued to increase across the country. China's gini coefficient has climbed to 0.47 by 2010, indicating a potentially unsustainable gap between the rich and the poor. The Hu administration's inability to rein in the wealth gap and its renewed emphasis increasing the role of state-owned enterprises in the economy led some economists to believe that Hu's administration missed a critical opportunity for reform and structural adjustment.

Hu's tough-on-corruption policies have seen mixed results. While there have been some attempts at increasing transparency in the expenditures of official organs and bureaucrats, the downfall of Railways Minister Liu Zhijun and Chongqing party chief Bo Xilai served as a reminder of unresolved issues of corruption within the political elite. In his own departing speech at the 18th Party Congress, Hu emphasized the potentially devastating effects corruption would have on the party and the country if it were left unchecked. Moreover, the Hu Administration's insistence on censorship and the curtailing of freedom of speech has drawn many critics from human rights organizations and Western governments, while artists and writers inside the country chided the Hu Administration's increased restrictions on cultural expressions. Although in the early years of his tenure Hu attempted to pioneer a form of "intraparty democracy" that called for greater participation from lower-ranked members to determine policy and select the leadership, there has been little evidence of meaningful changes to the party's governing structure and decision-making process.

Due to the increasingly consensus-based decision making process of the Chinese leadership, there is debate on how much power Hu held personally to effect change. Some credit Hu for being an effective mediator in a system increasingly affected by special interests and political factionalism. Hu also gained accolades for stepping down as military chief in favour of his successor Xi Jinping at the same time as relinquishing his position as General Secretary. This was seen as a message to the establishment and Jiang Zemin that elders should retire according to protocol and avoid meddling in the affairs of their successors.