Former China president Jiang Zemin dies aged 96

BEIJING: China’s former chief Jiang Zemin, who steered the nation by a transformational period from the late Eighties and into the brand new millennium, died on Wednesday (Nov 30) on the age of 96, state information company Xinhua stated.

Jiang took energy within the aftermath of the Tiananmen Sq. crackdown and led the world’s most populous nation in the direction of its emergence as a powerhouse on the worldwide stage.

“Jiang Zemin handed away as a consequence of leukaemia and a number of organ failure in Shanghai at 12.13pm on Nov 30, 2022, on the age of 96, it was introduced on Wednesday,” Xinhua reported.

Xinhua stated the announcement of his demise was made in a letter expressing “profound grief” at Jiang’s demise, addressed to the entire Communist Celebration, navy and Chinese language individuals.

His demise got here in spite of everything medical remedies had failed, it added.

“Comrade Jiang Zemin was an impressive chief … a terrific Marxist, a terrific proletarian revolutionary, statesman, navy strategist and diplomat, a long-tested communist fighter, and an impressive chief of the nice reason for socialism with Chinese language traits,” Xinhua quoted the letter as saying.

Jiang’s demise comes as China sees a flare-up of anti-lockdown protests which have morphed into requires wider political freedoms – probably the most widespread for the reason that 1989 pro-democracy rallies that have been crushed the yr Jiang took energy.

“Through the critical political turmoil in China within the spring and summer time of 1989, Comrade Jiang Zemin supported and applied the right resolution of the Celebration Central Committee to oppose unrest, defend the socialist state energy and safeguard the basic pursuits of the individuals,” state broadcaster CCTV stated on Wednesday.

State broadcaster CCTV stated flags could be flown at half-mast at Chinese language authorities buildings.