Jiang Zemin, a former president of China, is dead.
Zemin, who served as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party from 1989 to 2002 died at 96. He was president of China from 1993 to 2003 and was also chairman of the Central Military Commission between 1989 and 2004,
A Chinese news agency, Xinhua, reported that Zemin, who steered the country through a transformational era from the late 1980s and into the new millennium, died on Wednesday morning.
“Jiang Zemin passed away due to leukaemia and multiple organ failure in Shanghai at 12:13 p.m. on Nov. 30, 2022, at the age of 96, it was announced on Wednesday,” Xinhua reported.
It could be recalled that Jiang replaced Deng Xiaoping aa s leader in 1989, and China was still in the early stages of economic modernisation.
By the time he retired as president in 2003, China was a member of the World Trade Organization, Beijing had secured the 2008 Olympics, and the country was well on its way to superpower status.
Analysts say Jiang and his “Shanghai Gang” faction continued to exert influence over communist politics long after he left the top job.
Jiang is survived by his wife Wang Yeping and two sons.