In China, President Xi Jinping begins leadership transition

This week US President Barack Obama also met with China’s Premier Wen Jibao. Trade and political rights remain an issue between the two countries.  Last week President Xi Jinping took the reins of the world’s most populous country. China is currently the world’s second-largest economy and the global manufacturing hub for electronic goods that keeps prices low for international consumers.  For ten years its economy grew by 400 percent - and so have inequality and regional unrest. Some experts estimate that as many as tens of thousands of protests spring up  in China each year. Recently, China has been tussling with the U.S. and Canada over trade issues. Last year the WTO upheld U.S. tariffs on Chinese-made tires, and the Canadian government has been reluctant to allow a Chinese state-owned energy company to take over Canadian petroleum producer Nexen.  Many people are watching and waiting to see if China’s new leader will uphold the status quo or challenge corruption and politics as usual.  FSRN’s Danny Wood spoke with Peter Kwong, a professor of Asian American studies at Hunter College. His article, “China’s Shaky Leadership Transition,” recently ran in The Nation magazine.