China’s former leader Jiang Zemin, who rose to power after the Tiananmen Square protests, has died at the age of 96 in Shanghai,China on Wednesday.
The State Media said that he was announced dead just after 12:00 local time (04:00 GMT).
Jiang Zemin presided over a time when China opened up on a vast scale and saw high-speed growth.
His death comes as China sees some of its most serious protests since Tiananmen, with many demonstrating against Covid-19 restrictions in the country.
In a statement, the Chinese Communist Party said that he died of leukemia and multiple organ failure while attending to medication.
It also added that he was recognised as an outstanding leader with high prestige and a long-tested Communist fighter.
The Chinese State media outlets including the Xinhua News Agency and the Global Times turned their websites black and white in a strong tribute and respect.
Jiang rose to power after the bloody 1989 Crackdown on protesters in and around Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, which led to China being ostracised internationally.
The event sparked a bitter power struggle at the top of the Communist Party between hard-line reactionaries and reformers.
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Under his regime, a formidable economy was forged, the Communists tightened their grip on power, and China took its place as the topmost world power.
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He oversaw the peaceful handover of Hong Kong in 1997, and China’s entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001 which intertwined the country with the global economy.
