HONG KONG. May 4: Chinese President Jiang Zemin has indicated he wifi step down as Communist Party general secretary in 2002 and wants the top Job to go to Vice President Hu Jintao, a newspaper reported today, says AP.

Jiang told members of the party's ruling Politburo that tin ring the next party congress In 2002, only two of the current seven members of the Politburo Standing Committee should stay on. making room for younger politicians to help speed reforms in China, the South China Morning Post reported.

Jiang wants Hu and Li Rui-huan. chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, to remain on the. Politburo, the English-language daily said.

After quitting as party leader, Jiang would stay on as state president until early 2003, the newspaper said.

-Jiang, who sought' his first term as general secretary in 1992 and his second In 1997, would remain state president until early 2003, the paper said.