When President Hu Jintao assumed the chairmanship of China’s central military commission in September, he quickly demonstrated the incisive managerial style that has distinguished him from his predecessor, Jiang Zemin. But as is often the case in the People’s Republic, impressive external appearances may have served to conceal internal weakness. After only five days at the helm, Mr Hu set out a tough policy for dealing with Taiwan’s “splittists”. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA), he said, must “strive for negotiation, prepare for war, and have no fear of Taiwan’s procrastination”.Full Story