Former Chinese President Jiang Zemin died Wednesday in Shanghai at the age of 96. Zemin suffered from leukemia and multiple organ failure.
His death was proclaimed in a letter to the entire Party, the military, and all ethnic groupings of the Chinese people.
Jiang led China amid historic events as the 1989 turbulence, the resurgence of market-oriented reforms, the return of Hong Kong from the British administration in 1997, and Beijing’s admission into the World Trade Organization in 2001.
Jiang relinquished his last official title in 2004 but remained an influence behind the scenes in the squabbles that led to the ascension of current President Xi Jinping, who gained office in 2012.