US embassy cable - 88GUANGZHOU8077

C O N F I D E N T I A L GUANGZHOU 08077 
 
BEIJING PLEASE PASS CHENGDU 
 
E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR 
TAGS: PINR, PGOV, CH 
SUBJECT: HU JINTAO--A GLANCE AT HIS CHARACTER 
 
1. CONFIDENTIAL-ENTIRE TEXT. 
 
2. DURING A RECENT CALL ON THE CONSUL GENERAL, 
U.S. POLITICAL SCIENTIST PARRIS CHANG RECOUNTED 
A CONVERSATION HE HAD RECENTLY HAD ABOUT HU 
JINTAO.  IN TRAVELLING BACK FROM HAINAN TO 
GUANGZHOU HE WAS SEATED NEXT TO AN 
ENTREPRENEUR FROM GUIZHOU.  CHANG ASKED WHAT HE 
THOUGHT OF HU JINTAO, WHO HAD BEEN THE 
PARTY SECRETARY IN GUIZHOU BEFORE BEING NAMED 
TO TIBET.  THE ENTREPRENEUR SAID THAT HE 
THOUGHT THAT HU HAD TWO SIGNIFICANT FAILINGS 
WHICH MADE IT DOUBTFUL HE COULD SUCCEED IN 
TIBET.  FIRST, HU HAD NO CLOSE RELATIONSHIP 
WITH THE MILITARY.  SECOND, HE WAS A CAUTIOUS, 
VACILLATING LEADER.  AS AN ILLUSTRATION OF HU'S 
TIMIDITY, THE ENTREPRENEUR SAID THAT DURING ONE 
OF HIS TRIPS HE HAD WORKED OUT A PROJECT WHICH 
WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE EXPANSION OF GUIZHOU'S 
EXPORTS.  HE SENT A COPY OF HIS SUGGESTION TO 
HU WHO SAID THAT IT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA 
AND HE SHOULD SUGGEST THAT THE APPROPRIATE 
GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS IMPLEMENT IT.  WHEN THE 
ENTREPRENEUR TRIED TO DO SO, THERE WAS THE USUAL 
BUREAUCRATIC OPPOSITION FROM VARIOUS OFFICES, AND 
IN THE END NOTHING WAS DONE.  HE COMMENTED THAT 
HU WAS PREPARED TO MOVE ONLY IF EVERYONE AGREED 
WITH SOMETHING; HE WAS NOT PREPARED TO TACKLE 
OPPOSITION.  GIVEN THE SITUATION IN TIBET, 
HU WILL BE FACING MANY DIFFERENCES AND WILL 
GET LITTLE DONE IF HE IS NOT PREPARED TO EXERT 
HIMSELF. 
 
3. COMMENT.  THIS IS OBVIOUSLY HEARSAY 
INFORMATION, BUT WE BELIEVE THAT CHANG ACCURATELY 
RECOUNTED WHAT THE GUIZHOU ENTREPRENEUR TOLD HIM. 
THE REMARKS SEEM SOMEWHAT OVERLY FRANK FOR SUCH 
A PERSON TO MAKE TO AN UNKNOWN TAIWAN AMERICAN, 
BUT THEY MAY REFLECT WHAT SOME CHINESE ARE 
SAYING TO EACH OTHER ABOUT HU. 
 
PRATT