Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday said it was “imperative” for members of the ruling Communist Party of China to uphold the party’s overall leadership, as he led tributes to former president Jiang Zemin on the centenary of his birth.
Speaking at a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Xi urged party members to learn from Jiang’s firmness in handling crises, his political conviction, adherence to communist ideals and loyalty to the party. Thousands of party officials attended the event, including all seven members of the Politburo Standing Committee and several retired state leaders.
Jiang served as CPC general secretary from 1989 to 2002 and as Chinese president from 1993 to 2003. He died in 2022 at the age of 96.
According to the state-run Xinhua news agency, Xi said: “On the new journey, it is imperative to uphold the overall leadership of the party and the centralised, unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee, unswervingly strengthen the full and rigorous party self-governance, and ensure the party remains the strong leadership core in the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.”
Former premier Wen Jiabao and former vice-presidents Wang Qishan and Zeng Qinghong were among those present. However, former president Hu Jintao was absent, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.
Jiang stepped down as CPC general secretary in 2002 and handed over the presidency to Hu in 2003. He remained chairman of the Central Military Commission, the top command of the People’s Liberation Army, until 2004, overseeing a gradual transition to a new generation of Chinese leadership.
He took charge after the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, when Chinese security forces moved against student-led protests demanding democracy and greater political freedoms. He led China through Western sanctions after the crackdown, the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the Asian financial crisis of 1997-98, while pursuing economic reforms and opening up.
Praising Jiang’s leadership, Xi said he had remained firm in his communist ideals, made resolute decisions at key historical junctures and critical moments, and responded to risks and challenges while ensuring the steady advance of China’s reform and socialist modernisation.
Xi took over as CPC general secretary from Hu in 2012 and became president in 2013. He is currently serving an unprecedented third five-year term and is widely expected to seek a fourth term at the party’s national congress next year. Xi is the only CPC leader after party founder Mao Zedong to remain in power beyond two five-year terms. He has also been designated the party’s “core” leader, a status previously accorded only to Mao.
China will also hold the funeral of former premier Zhu Rongji on Tuesday. Zhu, who died on August 12 at the age of 98, served as premier from 1998 to 2003 and was known for his anti-corruption drive, efforts to reform China’s centrally planned economy and sweeping changes to the state-owned enterprise sector. The commemoration for Jiang highlighted his role in China’s political and economic transition, while Xi used the occasion to stress party unity and central leadership.
With PTI Inputs
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