Guided China’s Rise to Become an International Power — Former Chinese President Jiang Zemin Dies at 96

Former Chinese President, Jiang Zemin, passed away on Wednesday, November 30, 2022, at the age of 96, in Shanghai, according to the Chinese news agency Xinhua.

Jiang died of leukemia, with many of his organs beginning to fail. China, led by Jiang, succeeded in reintegrating the country into the international community by restoring sovereignty over Hong Kong and joining the World Trade Organization.

Jiang was one of the key figures in the history of China as he led the country during a great economic growth period.

His death comes at a time when the country is witnessing some of the most serious protests since Tiananmen, with many opposing the Covid restrictions imposed by the authorities.

The demonstrations turned into an unusual uprising against the dictatorial Chinese regime and its suppression of freedom of expression.

 

One of the Key Figures

Jiang Zemin, the former Chinese president, was expected to be just another transitional figurehead, but he was far away from being just a footnote in history, filling in a long list of achievements after saving China from its diplomatic isolation in the post-Tiananmen era, in addition to reviving ties with the US and leading the country to an unprecedented economic boom.

He was known as an outstanding leader of high stature and a great communist fighter.

Jiang came to power after a bloody 1989 crackdown on protesters in Tiananmen Square in the capital, Beijing, a move that marginalized China internationally.

The event also sparked a bitter struggle for the leadership of the Communist Party between hardliners and reformists.

Jiang Zemin did not have an ordinary style of an ordinary president; his manner surprised everyone who met him. He was not a polished, urbane president but rather “a gregarious ex-automobile factory manager who would sometimes burst into song, recite poems or play musical instruments,” as described by Reuters.

According to Jean-Pierre Cabestan, a politics professor at Hong Kong’s Baptist University, Jiang Zemin “ had a personal style that was sometimes a bit extravagant. I think he was more of a human being than Hu Jintao.

“Jiang Zemin was more ready to be natural, even though sometimes it could be perceived as vulgar, not very sophisticated.”

 

Plucked from Obscurity

Zemin was born on August 17, 1926, in Yangzhou, which is known at various periods for its great merchant families, poets, and artists.

He grew up during the Japanese occupation era and graduated from the university as an electrical engineer.

The former Chinese president joined the Communist Party when he was 21 years old, while still a university student, even though his family had no revolutionary belonging.

Zemin was at risk of being targeted because of his political beliefs during the purges that were constantly taking place under the rule of Chairman Mao Zedong.

However, he spent much of his career abroad in his early life, as an apprentice at a car factory in the former Soviet Union and then as a diplomat in Romania.

By the 1980s, the former leader had become a minister in charge of the electronic industry and later in charge of the Communist Party organization in Shanghai. But he did not have any intrusion, until then, on China’s internal affairs.

The defining moment was the Tiananmen Square Protests in 1989.

The Chinese politician served as general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) from 1989 to 2002, and as chairman of the Central Military Commission from 1989 to 2004.

He became the president of China from 1993 until 2003. Jiang Zemin has represented the “core of the third generation” of CCP leaders since 1989.

In 1992, Jiang officially introduced the term “socialist market economy” in his speech during the 14th CCP National Congress, accelerating China’s opening and reform.

 

He Did Earn His Place

Seen as a “slacking” bureaucrat, Jiang’s status was highlighted after choosing him as the middle leader, hoping to unite hardliners and more liberal elements.

During his reign, China formed a strong economy, the Communists tightened their grip on power, and the country joined the world powers.

Among Jiang’s proudest achievements was the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997 after more than 150 years of British rule, in addition to China’s entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001, a move that linked the country to the global economy.

However, Zemin was criticized for the 1999 crackdown on Falun Gong, which was seen as a threat to the Communist Party.

The Chinese leader was also keen to ensure that his position within the Communist Party was secure, and created his own political ideology, known as the Three Represents theory, in an attempt to modernize the party.

While holding power, Jiang sought to strengthen relations with the United States, offering then-President George W. Bush cooperation in Washington’s “war on terror” in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.

In a country not known for its outstanding leaders, Jiang was seen as having a more flamboyant personality than his successors.

During his later years, he was rarely seen in public but had always been among the topics of social media news in China and abroad.

“Still, he did earn his place in China’s socialist pantheon. His Three Represents theory was written into the party constitution in 2002, alongside the hallowed Mao Zedong Thought and Deng Xiaoping Theory,” Reuters concluded.