Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is reelected president of the country and chairman of the Central Military Commission of China during the fifth plenary meeting of the NPC session in Beijing, capital of China, March 15, 2008.

   When Hu first took over the helm of the country, what he and his colleagues in the new leadership had inherited was a 25-year economic miracle featuring a stunning average annual growth of near-10 percent, as well as problems and challenges long veiled behind the rosy GDP figures -- widening urban-rural disparities, yawning income gap and deteriorating environment, just to name a few.

    In the spring of 2003, almost immediately after the new Chinese leadership was installed, Hu and his colleagues were confronted with the sudden outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

    One day in April, citizens in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong Province worst hit by the deadly epidemic, were surprised to see Hu Jintao, wearing no facial mask, appear on a bustling downtown commercial street, smiling and waving to passers-by.

    According to Guangdong local officials, Hu flew to Guangzhou as soon as he learnt that the rage of SARS was peaking in the city and causing widespread public panic.

    In the spring of 2003, almost immediately after the new Chinese leadership was installed, Hu and his colleagues were confronted with the sudden outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

    One day in April, citizens in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong Province worst hit by the deadly epidemic, were surprised to see Hu Jintao, wearing no facial mask, appear on a bustling downtown commercial street, smiling and waving to passers-by.

    According to Guangdong local officials, Hu flew to Guangzhou as soon as he learnt that the rage of SARS was peaking in the city and causing widespread public panic.

The Russian elections are over and as expected, Putin protege Dmitri Medvedev will be the third President of the Russian Federation.

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