Cablegate: Tibet: Politburo Member Hu Jintao Retains Tibet Ties

R 191154Z APR 93
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 4788
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UNCLAS BEIJING 013058

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

DEPT ALSO PASS NSC - WEIDEMANN

THIS IS CHENGDU 0768
QUOTE:

E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM CH
SUBJECT: TIBET: POLITBURO MEMBER HU JINTAO RETAINS TIBET TIES

1. A PUBLISHED DELEGATE LIST FOR THE RECENT NATIONAL
PEOPLE'S CONGRESS LISTED POLITBURO STANDING COMMITTEE
MEMBER HU JINTAO AS A DELEGATE REPRESENTING THE TIBET
AUTONOMOUS REGION. HU WAS REPLACED AS TAR PARTY
SECRETARY ON DECEMBER 1, 1992 AND HAS NOT RESIDED IN
TIBET FOR AT LEAST 18 MONTHS. WITH HIS ELECTION TO
THE POLITBURO LAST FALL AND HIS REPLACEMENT AS TAR
SECRETARY, WE THOUGHT HIS DIRECT TIBET INVOLVEMENT
HAD ENDED, BUT THIS IS APPARENTLY NOT TRUE.
/
2. THE TIBET DAILY LISTED HU JINTAO AMONG THE 17
TIBET DELEGATES (THE PEOPLE'S DAILY GAVE THE DELEGATE
COUNT AS 19) TO THE NPC. THE TIBET DAILY, REPORTING
A MARCH 16 MEETING BETWEEN THE DELEGATION AND JIANG
ZEMIN, IDENTIFIED CURRENT TAR PARTY SECRETARY CHEN
KUIYUAN AS DELEGATION LEADER, BUT MENTIONED THAT HU
JINTAO PARTICIPATED IN THE MEETING AS A TAR DELEGATE.
THE PEOPLE'S DAILY ACCOUNT OF THE MEETING SAID HU
JINTAO BRIEFED JIANG ZEMIN ON TIBET CONDITIONS.
/
3. CONGENOFF RECENTLY ASKED A DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF
THE TAR FOREIGN AFFAIRS OFFICE DURING A VISIT TO
LHASA WHY HU JINTAO, WHOSE SEPARATION FROM TIBET
AFFAIRS HAS LONG BEEN COMPLETE IN PHYSICAL TERMS
AND WAS RECENTLY SEVERED IN OFFICIAL TERMS, WAS
ON THE TAR DELEGATION TO THE NPC. WE WERE TOLD
THAT HU, DUE TO HIS LONG EXPERIENCE IN TIBETAN
AFFAIRS, WAS ESPECIALLY QUALIFIED TO REPRESENT TAR
INTERESTS AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL.
/
4. COMMENT: IT WOULD SEEM THAT THE TIBET CONNECTION
FOR HU JINTAO WILL LINGER ON DESPITE HIS ELEVATION TO
THE POLITBURO STANDING COMMITTEE. WE SUSPECT THAT
HIS EXPERTISE WILL GIVE HIM THE PRIMARY VOICE IN
TIBET POLICY AMONG THE LEADERSHIP. END COMMENT.

CAMP

UNQUOTE

ROY

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