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The Tiananmen incident taught Xi Jinping to keep his political opponents pinned down. (Nikkei Montage/AFP/Jiji)
China up close

The lesson Xi learned from Tiananmen 30 years ago

Eliminate enemies, keep party elders at bay and never become Zhao Ziyang

KATSUJI NAKAZAWA, Nikkei senior staff writer | China

TOKYO -- Chinese President Xi Jinping was 35 when the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown took place.

He was the top official of Ningde, a city in Fujian Province.

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