Hu Jintao Hu Jintao Hu Jintao (; ; ; born 21 December 1942) is a retired Chinese politician who was the paramount leader of China from 2002 to 2012. He held the offices of General Secretary of the Communist Party from 2002 to 2012, President of the People's Republic from 2003 to 2013 and Chairman of the Central Military Commission from 2004 to 2012. He was a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, China's "de facto" top decision-making body, from 1992 to 2012. Hu participated in the Communist Party for most of his career, notably as Party Committee Secretary for Guizhou province
History of the People's Republic of China (2002–present) Zeng Qinghong, was also seen as a staunch Jiang ally, as he was part of Jiang's Shanghai clique. Also elevated during the Congress was Wen Jiabao, then Premier Zhu Rongji's right-hand man. Wen would become Premier in March 2003, and along with Hu, they were termed the Hu-Wen Administration. Both Hu and Wen's careers are remarkable in that they survived through the 1989 political crisis, which was attributed to their moderate views and careful attention not to offend or alienate older supporters. Hu Jintao is the first Party Committee Secretary to have joined the Communist Party after the Revolution over