Jiang appeals for party unity

Jiang (R) is enlisting the support of leftists to ensure that his group will remain the dominant faction in the party

(CNN) -- Chinese president Jiang Zemin has appealed for unity within the Communist party by allowing several conservative officials to hang on to their positions.

The reshuffle of the leadership in the 31 provinces and directly administered cities, which began late last year, is coming to an end.

The majority of the party bosses of provinces and cities have been re-appointed or offered similar positions in other regions.

Several leftist, or quasi-Maoist cadres who have opposed Jiang's effort to allow businessmen to join the party, have been given new terms.

Coastal Zhejiang is holding a party congress this week, one of the last provinces to go through the process of electing local party leaders.

Sources in the rich province say the incumbent party boss, Zhang Deqiang, is likely to be re-elected.

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This is despite the fact that last year, Zhang authored a well-known article on why private businessmen, being exploiters, were not fit to join the Communist party.

The sources said Zhang, among only a handful of cadres who had done academic work in North Korea, later wrote a self-criticism for having fallen out of line.

Building bridges

Zhejiang newspapers on Thursday quoted Zhang as saying in an address to the party congress that the province would follow closely President Jiang's now-famous "Theory of the Three Represents."

The theory, which says the party should represent the foremost production and cultural forces, is regarded as the theoretical basis for the party to recruit members of the "new classes."

Another leftist who has been give a new term is the deputy party secretary of Jilin Province, Lin Yanzhi, a famous Maoist ideologue.

Lin is the author of a circular that branded the "Three Represents" Theory as non-Marxist and unorthodox.

Earlier, Lin had said he would resign from the party if private businessmen were really admitted into the party.

A veteran party cadre in Beijing said Jiang was eager to project at atmosphere of unity at the upcoming 16th party congress.

"Jiang is building bridges to the leftists," the cadre said.

"The president needs the support of leftists to ensure that his proteges can get enough positions on the Central Committee and the Politburo to enable the Jiang clique to remain the dominant faction."