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Byline: Melinda Liu
Before it passes, the global economic crisis may topple its share of leaders. Will China's Prime Minister Wen Jiabao become a casualty? That's the speculation, thanks to an Oct. 14 article in the Hong Kong magazine Kaifang ("Open"). The piece suggested that Wen has become a target of party hard-liners unhappy with his pro-democracy leanings, citing as evidence recent public criticisms of "universal values"--code for the liberal reforms he supports. It also suggested that if China's economy hits the rocks, conservatives could make Wen "the scapegoat" and bring him down.
Kaifang offered no proof of a power struggle, and Wen seems to retain President Hu Jintao's full backing. The P.M., known as "Grandpa," is also immensely popular with the masses. But that won't necessarily help him. The ...