China: Hu wins second term

President Hu Jintao won a second five-year term as China’s Communist Party chief today, heading a new leadership line-up that features potential successors, yet could invite a divisive battle to succeed him.

Overall, Hu emerged politically stronger from eight days of top-level political meetings and months of bargaining in the lead-up. A party congress that wrapped up yesterday endorsed Hu’s signature policy programme to help the poor and saw the retirement of a key rival.