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Waiting in the wings are several others. Among them is Hu Jintao, 42, an economist who recently transferred from the Communist Youth League to be party chief of Guizhou province, one of the country's most challenging posts. Like Wang Zhaoguo, Hu Jintao was discovered by Deng on an inspection tour in the provinces. One of the youngest of the heirs apparent is Zhang Wei, 33, a Communist Youth League follower of Hu Qili, who has been active in Tianjin City's economic reforms.
Nearly all the young reformers have the advantage of being sponsored by friends in high places. Yet the protege system has one drawback: none of the third-echelon leaders has been through the byzantine politicking and the festering feuds that have long characterized life at the top of the party. In Chinese politics, as Deng knows all too well, there is no substitute for that experience.