Deng's shadow

The death of China's paramount leader Deng Xiaoping, like the deaths of all his predecessors from Sun Yat-sen to Mao Zedong, has left the world's most populous nation with a vacuum--not so much a power vacuum but a vacuum of real authority of the unquestioned kind.

Well before his death, Deng was able to put in his place a team headed by President Jiang Zemin and six other members of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist party. Since 1989 and with a few exceptions, Deng insisted, wisely, that the new leadership team make all the decisions, tough or otherwise, independently. In the past seven years, the new team handled both domestic and international issues with increasing confidence and sophistication.

But the team has not been able to claim the full credit despite being at the helm the past seven years--because Deng's shadow loomed large as long as he was alive.

Now Deng is gone and statecraft is in the hands of Mr. Jiang and his six Politburo Standing Committee associates. While Deng and his generation established their authority through decades of wars and revolution, such charismatic leaders are gone for good. Mr. Jiang and his generation of technocrats must earn their spurs not by conferring on themselves titles--which is easy--but by skillfully tackling the key political and economic issues confronting the nation--which is hard.

Domestically, these include reforming the state enterprise sector and establishing a social security system; narrowing the gap between the rich and poor, and between the coastal and inland regions; combating rising corruption and crime; and establishing a post-communist value system. Internationally, there are questions over Hong Kong's smooth transition; peaceful reunification with Taiwan; membership of the World Trade organization; and ties with the U.S. and Japan.

None of these issues is going to be easy. They call for creative thinking, bold initiative and firm resolve--qualities which Deng's generation had demonstrated and which Mr. Jiang and his colleagues have yet to prove they can match.

In the immediate aftermath of Deng's death, and with Hong Kong's handover as well as the 15th Party Congress coming up, it is all too easy to emphasis overall stability while postponing key decisions such as state enterprise reform. But the time is ripe. If they dither, Mr. Jiang and his colleagues may find to their regret that an opportunity has been lost irretrievably. And this time there will not be a Deng to make another southern tour, as he did in 1992, to get the process going again.

-- Business Times, Singapore