December 2006 97 Issues & Studies © 42, no. 4 (December 2006): 97-136. Hu Jintao's Power Consolidation: Groups, Institutions, and Power Balance in China's Elite Politics* ZHENGXU WANG After becoming General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party in November 2002, Hu Jintao surprised many observers by consolidating his power in a short period of time. There are two aspects to this power consolidation. First, he quickly promoted a large number of supporters, most notably his associates from the Chinese Communist Youth League, to key positions. Second, he buttressed himself as the core of the top leader- ship, at the same time forming a viable working relationship with other leaders, most notably Wen Jiabao and Zeng Qinghong. This resulted in a stable and viable power structure dominated by Hu. The institutionaliza- tion of Chinese elite politics in the last decade has created favorable con- ditions on which Hu was able to capitalize. However, future successions may still be hampered by institutional impediments. KEYWORDS: Hu Jintao; elite politics; Tuanpai; faction; institutionalization. ZHENGXU WANG (