Date: Thu, Feb 20 1997

By The Associated Press

Top Communist Party leaders who may figure in the infighting expected to follow the death of Deng Xiaoping:

JIANG ZEMIN: The 70-year-old president and Communist Party general secretary was Deng Xiaoping's surprise choice to lead the party in 1989. A former mayor and party chief from Shanghai, he has sought to reinforce his relatively weak power base by promoting proteges from that city and courting the military and party conservatives.

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LI PENG: The 68-year-old conservative premier is widely disliked for backing the 1989 military assault on Tiananmen Square pro-democracy demonstrators. He must relinquish the premiership in March 1998 by law but is believed to want another powerful portfolio outside the party to bolster his position.

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QIAO SHI: The 71-year-old chairman of the National People's Congress has turned the largely rubber-stamp national legislature into a force for promoting rule of law in China. He formerly did security and intelligence work for the party and is believed to be reluctant to step down unless his very liberal deputy replaces him.

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ZHU RONGJI: The 68-year-old vice premier in charge of economic policy, succeeded Jiang as Shanghai mayor in 1988. He has won respect for reining in double-digit inflation since 1994. Known to be hypercritical and disliked by many party bureaucrats, Zhu reportedly has said he will return to teaching management if he is not wanted.

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LI RUIHUAN: The 62-year-old chairman of an advisory body was a carpenter and model worker who became mayor of Tianjin before climbing to top of party hierarchy. He is seen as a loyal Deng lieutenant, is still relatively young and reportedly has expressed interest in serving as premier or running the legislature.

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HU JINTAO: At 54, he is the youngest member of the powerful Politburo Standing Committee and heir apparent for the post-Jiang era. He is in charge of party organization and ideology, a position that gives him influence over appointments. He ran the party in Tibet and handled suppression of anti-Chinese riots in 1988 and 1989.

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LI LANQING: The 65-year-old vice premier for trade served as foreign trade minister from 1990 to 1993 and is highly regarded as as a technocrat. He speaks English and Russian. Not a member of the party Politburo's powerful Standing Committee, he has emerged as compromise candidate to succeed Li Peng as premier.