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| '''Jiang Zemin (江澤民)''' is a ] ] and statesman. Regarded as the "core of the thrid generation" of Chinese Communist leaders, his theory of the ] has been written into the party's constitution. | '''Jiang Zemin (江澤民)''' is a ] ] and statesman. Regarded as the "core of the thrid generation" of Chinese Communist leaders, his theory of the ] has been written into the party's constitution. | ||
| Jiang was a member of the Communist student underground, achieving party membership in ]. A mechanical engineer, Jiang received his training at the Stalin Automobile Works in ] in the 1950s. Considered very urbane and worldly for a Chinese Communist leader, the former Ambassador to Romania and Mayor of Shanghai, China’s most cosmopolitan city, is fluent in Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Romanian, French and English. | Jiang was a member of the Communist student underground, achieving party membership in ]. A mechanical engineer, Jiang received his training at the Stalin Automobile Works in ] in the 1950s. Considered very urbane and worldly for a Chinese Communist leader, the former Ambassador to Romania and Mayor of Shanghai, China’s most cosmopolitan city, is fluent in Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Romanian, French and English. | ||
Revision as of 15:23, 23 December 2002
Jiang Zemin (江澤民) is a Chinese politician and statesman. Regarded as the "core of the thrid generation" of Chinese Communist leaders, his theory of the Three Represents has been written into the party's constitution.
Jiang was a member of the Communist student underground, achieving party membership in 1946. A mechanical engineer, Jiang received his training at the Stalin Automobile Works in Moscow in the 1950s. Considered very urbane and worldly for a Chinese Communist leader, the former Ambassador to Romania and Mayor of Shanghai, China’s most cosmopolitan city, is fluent in Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Romanian, French and English.
Jiang was a compromise candidate chosen by Deng Xiaoping, Li Peng, Chen Yun, and the retired elders to replace the more liberal Zhao Ziyang, who was considered too conciliatory to student protestors. Although not directly involved with the crackdown, he was elevated to central party positions after the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 for his role in averting similiar protests in Shanghai.
At the 16th Party Congress, the then 76-year-old Jiang was reelected Chairman of the Central Military Commission. At the 16th Party Congress in 2002, Hu Jintao assumed Jiang's title as party chief, becoming the new General Secretary of the Communist Party. Hu is also expected to succeed Jiang as President of the People's Republic of China by March of 2003.
Although Jiang stepped down from this all-powerful committee to make way for a younger “forth generation” of leadership led by Hu, Jiang will probably continue to wield significant influence. Six out of the nine new members of the all-powerful Standing Committee, Wu Bangguo, Jia Qinglin, Zeng Qinghong, Huang Ju, Wu Guanzheng, and Li Changchun are linked to Jiang’s “Shanghai Clique” and considered his “protégés”. The 22-member Politburo is elected by the Party’s central committee. Real power in Communist China lies with this committee, which works as a kind of inner cabinet and groups together the country’s most influential leaders. At the 2002 16th Party Congress, the Standing Committee was expanded to include nine members.
Once derided as a “flower vase” compromise candidate anointed by the elders, Jiang has emerged as the leading Chinese Communist cadre and Deng’s replacement. Under his tutelage, China has sustained an average of 10% GDP growth annually, achieving one of the world’s highest rate of per capita economic growth, if not the highest. Jiang’s legacy is also cememted by China’s successful bids to join the World Trade Organization and host the 2012 Summer Olympics.
External Link
- Life Story of Jiang Zemin (from the People's Daily)