The armed forces suffered deep cuts in the name of economic development. SYGMA

Though he continued to wield an almost mystic influence from his private Beijing compound, Deng's gradual withdrawal from overt power allowed his successors to prepare for an orderly transition. He was, like the ghosts Chinese revere, a force the current leaders dared not speak of disrespectfully. The steady rise in personal prosperity has persuaded China's citizens that their new leaders will continue to follow in Deng's footsteps without a major change of direction.

Yet for all their outward calm, the Chinese are as anxious as the rest of the world about their future. Jiang Zemin, State President, head of the party, chief of the military committee, the "core" of the new collective leadership, was ordained by Deng eight years ago and has been running the government pretty much ever since. But history has never been kind to China in its moments of transition from one ruler to the next. And though there is confidence that these new leaders are firmly set upon the path of reform, there is equal doubt that they have the courage, stamina and leadership to complete the journey.

Jiang finds himself thrust into the limelight in what already promises to be a watershed year in Chinese affairs. U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright will pay her maiden call at his office this week. Despite the official six-day period of mourning, Beijing quickly cabled Albright that they wished the meeting to go ahead. "They want to take her measure, and they want to show that it's business as usual," says a senior State Department official. Vice President Al Gore is expected in March. The national parliament opens its annual session that month, and the 15th Party Congress, the important meeting held every five years to fix policy and confirm leadership positions, is scheduled for the fall. Trickiest of all, Hong Kong reverts to Chinese control on July 1 and will be the world's litmus test of China's behavior. How Jiang handles this rush of events will be weighed by every domestic political rival, Chinese citizen and foreign power as a measure of his suitability.

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