Jiang Zemin was president of China from 1993 to 2003 and guided the country through economic reforms.
- Died: November 30, 2022 (Who else died on November 30?)
- Details of death: Died in Shanghai of leukemia and multiple organ failure at the age of 96.
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Influential leader
Jiang became mayor of Shanghai in 1985, soon rising to become the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party. He served as general secretary for several years before rising to the presidency in the wake of the Tiananmen Square massacre. As president of China, Jiang introduced the concept of socialist market economy, also described as state capitalism. China’s economy quickly grew under his leadership as the country became a major player on the world economic stage. Yet he was also criticized for human rights abuses, including his administration’s crackdown on the Falun Gong religious movement, imprisoning leaders and practicioners of the movement in reeducation camps. Jiang guided China into the World Trade Organization, and he met with leaders from other countries including President Bill Clinton. In 2002, Jiang introduced the concept of the “Three Represents” into party doctrine, expanding the idea of Chinese communism to make room for entrepreneurship and the market economy. Later that same year, he began the process of transferring his power peacefully to his successor, yet he remained influential.
Notable quote
“China is making efforts in market access, and no matter what the outcome [of] the negotiations, our reform and opening up will go on. I’d like to conclude by quoting a famous poet from the Sung dynasty, Xing Qi: ‘Despite the efforts of the mountains, the river will keep flowing eastward.’” —from a 1998 interview for Newsweek
Tributes to Jiang Zemin
Full obituary: The New York Times
