Jiang Zemin
[key], 1926–2022, Chinese government official, general secretary of
the Chinese Communist party (1989–2002) and president of China
(1993–2003), b. Jiangsu
prov. Trained as an electrical engineer, Jiang joined
the party in 1946, was an industrial executive, and became minister of the
Chinese electronics industry in 1983. Elected mayor of Shanghai in 1985, he
also became first deputy secretary, then (1988) secretary of the Shanghai
Communist party. A member of China's politburo from 1987, he was named to
succeed Zhao Ziyang as
Communist party general secretary after the army crushed prodemocracy
demonstrations in Beijing and other cities in 1989. A protégé
of Deng Xiaoping, he
replaced Deng as head of the powerful government and party military
commissions (1989–90) and was picked by Deng to succeed him. Regarded
as a political pragmatist, Jiang consolidated power, extended Deng's
economic reforms, and brought about the admission of private business owners
into the party's membership. He also increased China's influence in
international affairs, and brought China into the World Trade Organization.
He retired as party leader in Nov., 2002, and president in Mar., 2003;
Hu Jintao
succeeded him in both positions. Jiang retained his positions on the
military commissions until Sept., 2004, but he continued to retain influence
in party affairs.
See B. Gilley, Tiger on the Brink (1999).
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