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Web-only Exclusives
November 30, 2000

From Our Correspondent: Hirohito and the War
A conversation with biographer Herbert Bix

From Our Correspondent: A Rough Road Ahead
Bad news for the Philippines - and some others

From Our Correspondent: Making Enemies
Indonesia needs friends. So why is it picking fights?

AsiaweekTimeAsia NowAsiaweek story

FEBRUARY 4, 2000 VOL. 26 NO. 4

Born To Lead
Dragons who have shaken the world
By MARIA CHENG

The most powerful sign in the Chinese zodiac, the dragon symbolizes intelligence, wealth and tenacity. Dragons are also believed to be charismatic leaders who exert considerable influence over their peers. Though a large ego and a hot temper may at times hamper them, Dragons are hopeless opportunists, forever attempting to consolidate their power. Once in a position of leadership, the relentless Dragon will rarely relinquish it. Those qualities have shaped the lives of some eminent Dragons below - and of the millions of other people touched by them.

    ALSO IN ASIAWEEK
Cover: A Roaring Success
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• Analyze This
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• Mighty Years
Through the ages, the Year of the Dragon has proved decisive
• Born To Lead
Dragons who have shaken the world

Sirimavo Bandaranaike
April 17, 1916

After succeeding her assassinated husband as the prime minister of Sri Lanka in 1960, Bandaranaike dominated the island's politics for nearly two decades. She was the modern world's first female leader. Opponents criticized her tough leadership style. Her political instincts extended to her daughter, Chandrika Kumaratunga, who came to power in 1994 only after winning a power struggle involving her brother and mother. Bandaranaike bought out British-owned tea plantations in 1975, arguing they exploited Sri Lanka's labor and resources. The economy ultimately stagnated under her leftist government, but free education and medical care were protected. A Dragon of many faces indeed.

Anson Chan
February 24, 1940

It surely takes the strength of a Dragon for Hong Kong's Chief Secretary to head a 190,000-strong civil service. Second only to Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa, the Shanghai-born Chan was appointed Chief Secretary of Hong Kong in November 1993, becoming the first Chinese - and the first woman - to hold the position after 150 years of British predecessors. While Chan is hinting at retirement when she completes her tenure in 2002, she has not ruled out a possible bid for her boss' job. It seems this Dragon may not be cut out for a life of leisure after all.

Deng Xiaoping
August 22, 1904

He may have been less than five feet tall, but Deng Xiaoping was not to be taken lightly. Not only did he survive two purges during the tumultuous rule of Mao Zedong, he became the "patriarch" of post-Mao China, opening the long-closed nation to the world and to market forces. Still, while the croissant-eating Deng brought millions of Chinese out of abject poverty and introduced them to the joys of Big Macs and Coke, he was a brass-knuckles Communist - and Dragon - at heart, authorizing the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown.

Hun Sen
April 4, 1952

There aren't many leaders who can stage a coup and still legitimately retain power years later. But Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is hardly your typical politician. After ousting his co-Prime Minister, Prince Norodom Ranariddh, in 1997, Hun Sen brokered a deal with the Prince's father, King Norodom Sihanouk, that saw the prince exiled from the country. The former Khmer Rouge officer has shown the tenacity of a Dragon throughout his career. Witness his calls since June for Khmer Rouge genocide trials - a potentially explosive process that only a true Dragon could withstand.

Saint Joan Of Arc
January 6, 1412

When this courageous French maid led her nation's armies in driving out English invaders in 1429, she was no doubt proving her worth as a Dragon. Childhood friends chided young Joan for being too generous, citing the extraordinary lengths she went to for those in need. When she began hearing divine voices telling her to go into battle, she obeyed immediately, ultimately becoming a trusted confidante of France's King Charles VII. Though the English captured her and condemned her to burn at the stake, she was not yet finished with worldly authorities. Hundreds of years later, in 1920, Joan was officially declared a saint.

Bruce Lee
November 27, 1940

It was only fitting that Hong Kong martial arts legend Bruce Lee should be nicknamed "Little Dragon." With death-defying spinning kicks and an indomitable spirit, Lee transformed the passive image of the Chinese to one of unbridled power. His death at age 32 may have been premature, but his action-packed life was enough to inspire legions of moviemakers, from Jackie Chan to Quentin Tarantino. A true Dragon in every sense of the word, Lee fulfilled what is for many the ultimate Asian dream - he conquered the world.

John Lennon
October 9, 1940

The mop-haired Beatle who introduced Britpop to the world also happened to be a Dragon. Together with his three musical compatriots, Ringo Starr, George Harrison and Paul McCartney, Lennon rewrote the face of popular music, infusing it with changes that seemed nothing short of revolutionary. While his marriage to Yoko Ono - who herself possessed the stubbornness of a Dragon - seemed for many the end of the Fab Four, Lennon's writing remained as vibrant as ever. With his assassination in 1980, this Dragon's music became his ultimate legacy.

Li Ka-Shing
June 13, 1928

Is it any wonder that one of Hong Kong's richest tycoon also happens to be a very successful Dragon? With three listed companies, the 71-year-old billionaire has been Asia's foremost dealmaker for over a half-century. A staunch supporter of China, Li is making some Americans sweat - over allegations that his two Hutchison Whampoa-control-led ports at the Panama Canal are an arm of the People's Liberation Army. He has also spawned his own Dragon lineage. Son Victor shares his father's birth sign and is expecting a child this year, ensuring that the Li Dragon legacy will live on.

Soong Qingling
January 27, 1892

Born to the cosmopolitan Soong family, the first lady of modern China worked with her famed husband, Sun Yat-sen, to revolutionize their country. The Shanghai native studied in the U.S. before meeting Sun, who made the beautiful 22-year-old his second wife. Soong, however, was no mere trophy bride. Highly intelligent and politically radical, she traveled with her husband between the political bases of Shanghai and Guangzhou. As Sun became embroiled in organizing a viable government, Soong rallied for greater attention to women's and children's issues. After Sun's death, Soong was made an Honorary President of the People's Republic of China.

Abdurrahman Wahid
August 4, 1940

When Abdurrahman Wahid dreamed in 1982 that he received a divine blessing to become Indonesia's president, he couldn't have known the dream would be realized 17 years later. But with the determination of a Dragon, Wahid survived the Suharto regime's attempts to crush his power base. As the ex-chairman of the Muslim party, Nahdlatul Ulama, Wahid's keen sense of balance allowed him to placate both Suharto's liberal opponents and conservative forces. In his current drive for stability in Indonesia, the president will need the traits of his birth sign more than ever.

Wan Azizah Wan Ismail
December 3, 1952

She hardly seems your typical Dragon. Unassuming and demure, the wife of jailed Malaysian former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim is serene, not explosive. Still, in the past year she has managed to rally considerable support for the reformasi movement, launching the National Justice Party, which allied with established opposition forces to challenge the ruling government in November's elections. Not to mention the quiet strength she has exuded during her husband's corruption and sodomy trials. With her appeal to Malaysia's disenfranchised, Wan Azizah is a powerful leader indeed. Just wait until she roars.

Zhu Rongji
October 20, 1928

Only a Dragon could handle the prospect of unleashing the untapped potential of the Chinese market. Enter Zhu Rongji, the nation's trusted economic czar. Known for his reformist zeal, Zhu has the practical know-how of the sign under which he was born, and the courage to challenge traditional dogma. His normally unflappable image flagged when he failed to secure China's entry to the WTO during his U.S. trip last April. Rumors surfaced that he was under political pressure in Beijing. But after the WTO deal with the U.S. in November, this dragon emerged strong once again.

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