With his death, former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin leaves behind a very different China than the one he tried to shape. Now it’s Xi Jinping’s nation. It’s also a country in the throes of protests against “zero-COVID” lockdowns.
as Communist Party general secretary just a few weeks ago. And on Tuesday, his government vowed to “resolutely crack down on infiltration and sabotage activities by hostile forces” — by implication targeting crowds in major Chinese cities who protest COVID-19 lockdowns or pretty much anything else.
In the ensuing years, Jiang helped guide the nation out of the isolation resulting from China’s actions during that bloody saga. In doing so, he took pains to present himself to the world as a smiling bon vivant who liked to play piano, sing and find human touchpoints with other nations’ leaders — a contrast to the generally dour technocrats who surrounded him.Jiang was no pushover, though.
The comparison of two eras, while instructive, goes only so far. By many standards, Jiang was hardly a permissive leader. He cracked down on the Falun Gong spiritual movement, maintained tight controls over expression and saw to it that all manner of activists — for human rights, labor rights and democracy in general — were jailed.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Jiang Zemin made China richer and more unequalChina embraced entrepreneurs, developed markets and alleviated poverty under Jiang Zemin, who has died aged 96. His pragmatism probably saved the Communist Party. But the inequality his era spawned still haunts his successors, writes johnsfoley
Read more »
Breakingviews - Jiang Zemin made China richer and more unequalJiang Zemin, who died on Wednesday, catapulted China into the modern world. During his 15 years as Communist Party chief, president and head of the army, China embraced entrepreneurs, nurtured markets, and alleviated poverty for millions. But Jiang also helped create the problem that has vexed his successors: yawning inequality. And his death comes at an inconvenient time for the current president, Xi Jinping.
Read more »
Jiang Zemin, Former China Paramount Leader, Dies at 96Jiang Zemin, the former Chinese leader who presided over market-oriented changes that turned China into a global economic juggernaut, died at the age of 96 of leukemia and multiple organ failure.
Read more »
Jiang Zemin, who led China as it emerged as world power, dies at 96Breaking news: Former Chinese president Jiang Zemin has died at 96. He came to power after the 1989 crackdown on student protests in Tianamen Square, overseeing a period of massive economic growth for the country.
Read more »
Ex-president Jiang Zemin who transformed China dies at 96Jiang Zemin became the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party in 1989 and went on to become the president of the Asian country in 1993.
Read more »
Jiang Zemin, former president of China, dies at 96Former Chinese President Jiang Zemin died at 96 on Wednesday.
Read more »