Former China leader Jiang Zemin dies

Former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin died yesterday at the age of 96, state media reported, hailing him as a great communist revolutionary who helped quell the 1989 pro-democracy protests.

The major bodies of China's ruling Communist Party (CCP) bodies announced his death through a letter that expressed "profound grief".

"Jiang Zemin passed away due to leukemia and multiple organ failure in Shanghai at 12:13 pm on Nov. 30, 2022, at the age of 96," Xinhua reported.

When Jiang replaced Deng Xiaoping as leader in 1989, 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.