Former Chinese President Jiang Zemin died on Wednesday at the age of 96, state media said, hailing him as a great communist revolutionary who helped restore calm during pro-democracy protests in 1989.
His death comes as the Chinese authorities have been facing the most extensive protest movement since these events for several days, against anti-COVID health restrictions and for more political freedoms.
Coming to power the day after the crackdown on the Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing, Jiang Zemin accompanied the transformation of the most populous nation in the world into a world power, which he led until the early 2000s.
“Jiang Zemin died of leukemia and multiple organ failure in Shanghai at 12:13 p.m. on November 30, 2022, at the age of 96,” the state-run China News Agency reported.
Flags will fly at half-mast on Party and government buildings, state broadcaster CCTV said.
According to New China, his death was announced in a letter from the Chinese authorities expressing “deep sadness”, addressed to the entire Chinese Communist Party, the army and the people.
“Comrade Jiang Zemin was […] a great Marxist, a great proletarian revolutionary, a statesman, a military strategist and a diplomat, a lifelong communist fighter, and an outstanding leader of the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics,” the agency added citing the letter.
“Lively and Jovial”
The announcement of his death comes as a wave of demonstrations has rocked several cities in China in recent days, recalling the pro-democracy mobilization of 1989, which was finally bloodily suppressed in Beijing.
“During the serious political unrest that rocked China in the spring and summer of 1989, Comrade Jiang Zemin upheld and implemented the correct decision of the Party Central Committee to oppose the unrest, uphold socialist state power and safeguard the basic interests of the people,” according to CCTV.
In the people, Jiang Zemin also left the image of a leader with an affable character.
“There were a lot of corruption issues at the time, but he was a lively and jovial person,” Wang Yi, a Beijing resident, told AFP. “The media was also freer in his day to report critically on societal issues.”
But he has also been criticized for failing to address issues like corruption, inequality, environmental degradation and state sector reforms that have led to mass layoffs.
Deng Xiaoping had called him to head the Chinese Communist Party in June 1989, impressed by the mastery with which he had just put an end to the demonstrations in his city of Shanghai peacefully, without shedding blood as in Beijing.
Memes and nostalgia
He will have been 13 years at the head of the party (1989-2002) and president for ten years (1993-2003).
Once retired, he was the subject of many amusing memes, with young people dubbing themselves “toad worshippers” in reference to his looks. Memes posted in quantity on Wednesday by Chinese users on social networks, with many tributes to the “king toad” revealing a certain nostalgia for an era perceived as more liberal.
More than half a million posted CCTV’s message announcing his death on Weibo, China’s Twitter, within the hour. Many referred to “Grandfather Jiang”.
Some threw spades at the current leader. “Jiang’s era, while not the most prosperous, was more tolerant,” wrote one Weibo user. “I heard a lot of criticism towards him, but the fact that he allowed the existence of critical voices shows that he is worthy of praise,” adds another.
Many of the most humorous posts were censored within minutes on Weibo.
The “toad worshipers” also paid tribute to him. “Rest in peace king toad,” one wrote on Weibo. “Toad…could you take Winnie the Pooh?” asked another, using a forbidden nickname designating the current president.
On the popular WeChat app, links were posted with songs titled “Too bad it wasn’t you” or “The wrong person,” in reference to Mr. Xi. Comments on the first song were deleted on music streaming service NetEase shortly after Jiang Zemin’s death.
Analysts say Jiang Zemin and his “Shanghai Gang” — the faction supporting him — continued to have a strong influence on Chinese politics long after he left power.
Upon news of her passing, state media all posted the same black-and-white photo of a chrysanthemum to official Weibo accounts.
When he was officially appointed in 1989 by former leader Deng Xiaoping as his successor, China was only at the beginning of its economic modernization.
When he left office in 2003, it had become a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), had won the organization of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was becoming a superpower.
He leaves behind his wife Wang Yeping and two sons.