Jiang Zemin

Jiang Zemin (August 17, 1926 - November 30, 2022), a native of Yangzhou, Jiangsu, was the former supreme leader of the Communist Party of China and the People's Republic of China, and a former state-level leader. In 1989, he became the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the core of the third generation of central leadership collective. He served as Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China and Chairman of the State Military Commission from 1989 to 2005; and as Chairman of the People's Republic of China from 1993 to 2003. Jiang Zemin was born in Jiangdu County, Jiangsu Province (now Yangzhou City). In 1943, he was admitted to the Department of Electrical Engineering of the National Central University (Nanjing) from his hometown. He later transferred to the same department of the National Jiaotong University and graduated in 1947. While in college, he joined the Communist Party of China and began to participate in underground work and student movements. He joined the Communist Party of China in April 1946 and graduated from the Department of Electrical Engineering of National Chiao Tung University. After graduating from university, Jiang Zemin worked in a local grain and clothing factory in Shanghai. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he successively held positions such as section chief and deputy director in factories in the food, soap making, and electrical appliance industries. In 1954, he went north to Changchun to participate in the preparations for the establishment of the First Automobile Manufacturing Plant, and went to the Soviet Union for a one-year internship. After returning to China, he was successively promoted. Since the 1960s, he has successively held major leadership positions in research institutes affiliated to the First Ministry of Machinery Industry in Shanghai, Wuhan and other places. During the "Cultural Revolution", it came under attack. In 1970, he was transferred to the First Ministry of Machinery and was soon sent to Romania to lead the Chinese government's local construction projects. After returning to China, he worked in the Foreign Affairs Bureau of the First Ministry of Machinery for many years, during which he visited many countries around the world. After the reform and opening up, Jiang Zemin left the professional and technical department and joined the National Import and Export Administration Committee to engage in policy formulation and preparation of special economic zones. Since 1982, he has successively served as deputy minister and minister of the Ministry of Electronic Industry, and was elected as a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China during this period. Since 1985, he has served as deputy secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, mayor and secretary of the municipal committee. In November 1987, he was elected as a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee at the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and became the leader of the party and the country. In June 1989, at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 13th CPC Central Committee, he replaced Zhao Ziyang and was elected as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, establishing his core leadership position. In November of the same year, he was elected chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China and succeeded Deng Xiaoping in taking charge of the army. The following year, he was elected chairman of the Central Military Commission of the country. In 1993, he was elected President of the People's Republic of China, succeeding Yang Shangkun, and was subsequently re-elected for the above positions. In November 2002, he resigned as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee