Jiang's 'pre-emptive strike' at QiaoWILLY WO-LAP LAM
Factional infighting within the Communist Party has intensified with President Jiang Zemin firing a salvo at his main opponent, National People's Congress chairman Qiao Shi.
Beijing sources said yesterday Mr Jiang had made pejorative remarks during internal meetings about a "new clique" being formed within the party hierarchy.
Without mentioning Mr Qiao by name, Mr Jiang, also party General Secretary, referred to a faction consisting of senior cadres from the so-called legal and security establishment.
In the Chinese tradition, this network covers the police, state security outfits, the people's congresses, the procuratorate and courts. Since the 1980s, Mr Qiao, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, has taken up this crucial portfolio.
The sources said that Mr Jiang had quoted the instructions from Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping on the undesirable influence of faction-building.
The sources added the President was trying to make a "pre-emptive strike" by bad-mouthing the "Qiao clique".
Since coming to power in 1989, Mr Jiang has faced repeated accusations that he had built up his own Shanghai clique.
Senior officials who have attacked Mr Jiang's faction-building include Mr Qiao, General Liu Huaqing and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference chairman Li Ruihuan .
These foes have cited Deng's dictum that the party's personnel policies must reflect the principle of "the five lakes and the four seas" - diversity.
A party source said Mr Jiang had recently manoeuvred to promote more cadres from Shanghai to Beijing at the forthcoming 15th party congress. The source said his broadside at Mr Qiao might be an attempt to camouflage his own clique-building.
Cadres considered close to Mr Qiao include the head of the Supreme People's Court, Ren Jianxin , and the trade union head, Wei Jianxing.
Meanwhile, Mr Jiang has reportedly put pressure on Mr Qiao to retire from the National People's Congress next year.
Mr Qiao, 72, however, has refused to leave what is deemed his power base into the next decade.
The source said while Mr Jiang had numerous positions, Mr Qiao would be left with little power if he were to give up the chairmanship.
