| Hu Jintao became the undisputed leader of China as the country completed its first orderly transfer of power in the communist era on Sunday with the departure of former President Jiang Zemin from his top military post _ giving a new generation a freer hand to run the world's most populous nation. Jiang, whose term was to have run until 2007, resigned at a meeting of the ruling Communist Party's Central Committee that ended Sunday. Analysts did not expect Jiang's exit to affect Beijing's stance on relations with the United States or Taiwan, economic reform or other key issues. Jiang and Hu are not known to have had any major policy disagreements and both support continued capitalist-style reforms and one-party communist rule. But the consolidation of the top party, government and military posts in Hu's hands will allow him and his premier, Wen Jiabao, to act more decisively as the government copes challenges such as wrenching economic changes and rural poverty. |