World Tibet Network News Monday, March 16, 1998

BEIJING, March 16 (Reuters) - Rising political star Hu Jintao was elected as China's vice president on Monday, giving new weight to what was once a figurehead job and positioning Hu as a possible future top leader.

Hu, 55, sits on the Communist Party's all-powerful seven-member Politburo Standing Committee and is president of the Central Party School which trains party cadres.

A total of 2,841 delegates to the National People's Congress voted for Hu, while 67 voted against and 39 abstained.

Hu replaces the ``red capitalist'' Rong Yiren, who retires aged 83.

He is the youngest member of the communist standing committee and was previously the Communist Party boss in the Himalayan region of Tibet.