SARS Epidemic Tests Chinas New Leadership

The decision to admit to the world on April 17th the full effect of SARS on China, its people, and economy by President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao demonstrated the importance of the outside world on Chinas economy and a serious internal political play by Chinas new leaders.

Washington, D.C. -

The decision to admit to the world on April 17th the full effect of SARS on China, its people, and economy by President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao demonstrated the importance of the outside world on Chinas economy and a serious internal political play by Chinas new leaders. Neil Hughes, a World Bank veteran of over twenty years and author of Chinas Economic Challenge: Breaking the Iron Rice Bowl, discussed Chinas adoption of capitalism with Chinese characteristics" and the impact of SARS on May 18th at the Rust Library in Leesburg, Virginia.

Chinas inability to curb SARS has resulted in an unprecedented crisis of confidence in its government and has revealed how little most Chinese trust their leadership," says Neil Hughes. He believes that Hu Jintao will use SARS as a platform from which he can demonstrate his leadership capabilities as a new president much as George W. Bush did after 9/11.

Neil Hughes is currently retired from the World Bank, where he spent over 20 years helping to develop programs for the poverty-stricken in Latin American, Africa, Nepal, Bangladesh, and China. During 1992-2002, Neil Hughes helped Chinese officials and state enterprise managers implement reforms and reduce urban pollution. He is an expert on economic development and is a freelance writer, who has been published in such publications as Foreign Affairs and the Asian edition of the Wall Street Journal. Neil has an M.A. in international economics and politics from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, an M.A. in anthropology from The George Washington University and a B.A. in history of the College of Wooster in Ohio. In his retirement, Neil has discovered a new passion -- historic preservation. He has served as the president of the Waterford Foundation and has testified before government officials about land use and conservation. Neil Hughes lives in Northern Virginia.

If you would like to schedule an interview with Neil Hughes, please contact Jennifer, publicist, Scout Literary Media, at jennifer@booksintl.com or 703-661-1533. Review copies of Chinas Economic Challenge and press kits available upon request.