63 Facts About Jiang Zemin

Jiang Zemin was a Chinese politician who served as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party from 1989 to 2002, as chairman of the Central Military Commission from 1989 to 2004, and as president of China from 1993 to 2003.

Jiang Zemin was the core leader of the third generation of Chinese leadership, one of four core leaders alongside Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping and Xi Jinping.

Jiang Zemin became the vice minister of the newly-established Ministry of Electronics Industry and a member of the CCP Central Committee in 1982.

Jiang Zemin was appointed as the mayor of Shanghai in 1985, later being promoted to its Communist Party secretary, as well as a member of the CCP Politburo, in 1987.

Jiang Zemin came to power unexpectedly as a compromise candidate following the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre, when he replaced Zhao Ziyang as CCP general secretary after Zhao was ousted for his support for the student movement.

Jiang Zemin faced criticism over human rights abuses, including the crackdown on the Falun Gong movement.

Jiang Zemin gradually vacated his official leadership titles from 2002 to 2005, being succeeded in these roles by Hu Jintao, although he and his political faction continued to influence affairs until much later.

On 30 November 2022, Jiang Zemin died from leukemia and multiple organ failure in Shanghai.

Jiang Zemin was born in the city of Yangzhou, Jiangsu, on 17 August 1926.

Jiang Zemin attended the Department of Electrical Engineering at the National Central University in Japanese-occupied Nanjing before transferring to National Chiao Tung University.

Jiang Zemin graduated there in 1947 with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering.

Jiang Zemin joined the Chinese Communist Party when he was in college.

Jiang Zemin's role was to ensure these SEZs increased economic prosperity without becoming "conduits" for foreign ideology.

In 1980, Jiang Zemin headed a delegation which toured other SEZs in twelve countries; upon his return, he issued a radical report which recommended allowing local authorities to issue tax breaks and land leases, and increasing the power of foreign joint ventures.

Jiang Zemin's proposals were approved at the National People's Congress, cementing Jiang as an "early implementer" of Deng Xiaoping Theory.

At the 12th Party Congress held in September 1982, Jiang Zemin became a member of the Central Committee of the CCP, which determines policy and elects the members of the Politburo.

Jiang Zemin was an ardent believer, during this period, in Deng Xiaoping's economic reforms.

At the 13th National Congress of the CCP held in October 1987, Jiang Zemin was promoted from mayor to Shanghai party secretary, the most powerful position in the city, reporting directly to the central government.

Jiang Zemin joined the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party, in accordance with customs for party secretaries of major cities.

Jiang Zemin's death catalyzed the Tiananmen Square protest, leading to an ideological crisis between "liberals" and "conservatives".

Jiang Zemin simultaneously sent a telegram to the Central Committee firmly supporting their martial law declaration.

Jiang Zemin was selected as a compromise candidate over Tianjin's Li Ruihuan, premier Li Peng, elders Li Xiannian, Chen Yun, and the retired elders to become the new general secretary.

Jiang Zemin was elevated to the country's top job in 1989 with a fairly small power base inside the party, and thus, very little actual power.

Jiang Zemin was believed to be simply a transitional figure until a more stable successor government to Deng could be put in place.

At the first meeting of the new CCP Politburo Standing Committee, after the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989, Jiang Zemin criticized the previous period as "hard on the economy, soft on politics" and advocated increasing political thought work.

Jiang Zemin grew ever more cautious, and rallied behind Deng's reforms completely.

Jiang Zemin coined the new "socialist market economy" to move China's centrally-planned socialist economy into essentially a government-regulated capitalist market economy.

Jiang Zemin abolished the outdated Central Advisory Committee in 1992, an advisory body composed of revolutionary party elders.

Jiang Zemin became general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and chairman of the Central Military Commission in 1989, followed by his election to the presidency in March 1993.

At Deng's state funeral in 1997, Jiang Zemin delivered the elder statesman's eulogy.

Jiang Zemin had inherited a China rampant with political corruption, and regional economies growing too rapidly for the stability of the entire country.

Jiang Zemin oversaw a series of missile tests in the waters surrounding Taiwan in 1996 in protest to the Republic of China government under President Lee Teng-hui, who had been seen as moving its foreign policy away from the One-China policy.

Jiang Zemin went on a state visit to the United States in 1997, drawing various crowds in protest from the Tibet Independence Movement to supporters of the Chinese democracy movement.

Jiang Zemin made a speech at Harvard University, part of it in English, but could not escape questions on democracy and freedom.

Jiang Zemin deemed the United States-China bilateral relation too important to be harmed in the emotion of the moment and sought to soothe the Chinese public's outrage.

Jiang Zemin appeared casual in front of Western media, and gave an unprecedented interview with Mike Wallace of CBS in 2000 at Beidaihe.

Jiang Zemin stepped down as general secretary and left the Politburo Standing Committee, but retained the chairmanship of the Central Military Commission, which controlled the army and the nation's foreign policy.

Jiang Zemin would continue conselling Hu from "behind the curtain", and it was formally agreed that Jiang Zemin would be "consulted on all matters of state importance".

Six months later in March 2005, Jiang Zemin resigned his last significant post, chairman of the Central Military Commission of the state, which marked the end of Jiang Zemin's political career.

Jiang Zemin continued to make official appearances after giving up his last title in 2004.

In 2007, Jiang Zemin was seen with Hu Jintao on stage at a ceremony celebrating the 80th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army, and toured the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution with Li Peng, Zhu Rongji, and other former senior officials.

On 8 August 2008, Jiang Zemin appeared at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

Jiang Zemin stood beside Hu Jintao during the mass parade celebrating the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China in October 2009.

On 9 October 2011, Jiang Zemin made his first public appearance since his premature obituary in Beijing at a celebration to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution.

Jiang Zemin reappeared at the 18th Party Congress in October 2012, and took part in the 65th Anniversary banquet of the founding of the People's Republic of China in October 2014.

In September 2015, Jiang Zemin attended the parade celebrating 70 years since end of World War II; there, Jiang Zemin again sat next to Xi Jinping and Hu Jintao.

Jiang Zemin appeared on 29 May 2017 at Shanghai Technology University.

Jiang Zemin reappeared at the 19th Party Congress on 18 October 2017.

Jiang Zemin appeared on 29 July 2019 at the funeral of former premier Li Peng.

Jiang Zemin attended the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China mass parade in October 2019, marking his last public appearance prior to his death.

Jiang Zemin did not attend the 20th Party Congress in October 2022.

Jiang Zemin married Wang Yeping, a native of Yangzhou, in 1949.

Jiang Zemin was his cousin, as Jiang's adoptive mother was Wang's aunt.

Jiang Zemin Mianheng went on to be an academic and businessman, working within the Chinese space program, and founded Grace Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation.

Jiang Zemin had a passable command of several foreign languages, including English and Russian.

Jiang Zemin remains the only paramount leader of China known to be able to speak in English.

Jiang Zemin enjoyed engaging foreign visitors in small talk on arts and literature in their native language, in addition to singing foreign songs in the original.

Jiang Zemin played the ukulele during his 1997 visit to Hawai'i.

Jiang Zemin died on 30 November 2022, at the age of 96, in Shanghai.

The fact that Jiang Zemin rose to power as the direct beneficiary of the political aftermath of Tiananmen has shaped the perception of his rule.

Jiang Zemin did not specialize in economics, and in 1997 handed most of the economic governance of the country to Zhu Rongji, who became Chinese premier, and remained in office through the Asian financial crisis.

Jiang Zemin was characterized as a leader who was mindful to seek the opinion of his close advisers.

Jiang Zemin is often credited with the improvement in foreign relations during his term, but at the same time many Chinese have criticized him for being too conciliatory towards the United States and Russia.