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Summary China is much different than it was when Hu took over in 2002.
As Hu Jintao steps down as head of Chinas Communist Party after 10 years in power, hes hearing something unusual for a Chinese leader: sharp criticism.Commentators are portraying Hus reign as a missed opportunity to tackle problems from pollution and a yawning rich-poor gulf to stiffly authoritarian politics.China is much different than it was when Hu took over in 2002. Its grown to become the worlds second-largest economy and per capita income has quintupled.Chinas politics, however, remain a world apart. Hus critics say he and the rest of Chinas collective leadership have been too timid to change a system that is simmering with conflicts.Some of the criticisms are designed to influence Xi Jinping, who begins taking over from Hu at a party congress opening Thursday.
