HONG KONG -- The two-week session of the National People's Congress in Beijing, which ended Tuesday, finished the political transition begun by the 16th Party Congress in November.
As expected, Hu Jintao, who succeeded Jiang Zemin as party leader in November, also took over his position as head of state on Saturday. But Jiang is by no means powerless, since he was re-elected to a five-year term as chairman of the state Military Affairs Commission, confirming him in effect as the commander in chief of the armed forces.
There are now two power centers in China, a situation that is inherently abnormal and potentially unstable. In the short term, it may be useful to have Jiang available to handle such major issues as relations with the United States and Taiwan. In the long run, however, it would be helpful if Jiang were to gracefully fade into the background and let the younger generation take charge.