Mr. Jiang's attack on the Beijing leadership seemed to be a pre-emptive move to demonstrate his own toughness.

And it will more likely provide the Beijing leadership an excuse for their failure in managing China's economy than it will discredit them.

The President has argued that the United States cannot hope to influence democratic reform in China unless it stays politically and economically engaged with the Beijing leadership.

But he said the Beijing leadership was not likely to acquiesce to the introduction of nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula.

Four years ago the Beijing leadership hesitated before a major crackdown, worried about possible adverse foreign reaction.

In order for these issues to be effectively tacked, the Beijing leadership called for a national 'tide' of denunciations and the involvement of the 'masses' in the campaign.

Without a clear position from the Beijing leadership, local authorities did not know how to respond.

Every day that Wei and Wang spend behind bars is Jiang's admission that the Beijing leadership is afraid of being overthrown by the people.

The Beijing leadership has also been slow to carry out an agreement with Washington on curbing the export of goods made with prison labor.

The precedent cited by the drafters was the last occasion when hard-liners in the Beijing leadership mounted an assault on the reform program, in 1983.