Little Hu
MR HU Chunhua is a rising star who is slated to reach the top echelons of power in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and his rapid ascent is unlikely to be derailed by the May protests in Inner Mongolia, according to observers. The career of the 48-year-old Inner Mongolia party boss could even get a boost from the demonstrations which erupted across the grasslands after a Mongol herder was killed by a Han Chinese driver in a hit-and-run accident. Mr Hu seemed to have dealt with the riots appropriately, with no more unrest flaring up since, noted analyst Wang Zhengxu from Nottingham University's China Policy Institute. This has enhanced his credentials in the party, he said. 'It (the unrest) won't affect his career path negatively,' Dr Wang added. Dr Bo Zhiyue, an expert on elite politics at Singapore's East Asian Institute, agreed. Protests like those that erupted in Inner Mongolia are not uncommon in China and so do not necessarily reflect badly on Mr