Former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin, who came to power after the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, died in Shanghai on Wednesday of leukemia and organ failure, the Chinese Communist Party announced. He was 96.
Jiang, a former top official in Shanghai, was initially considered a transitional figure when he became the surprise pick to lead the ruling Communist Party and serve as president as China worked to reintegrate itself into the international community after the Tiananmen massacre. Instead, he held office for more than a decade, embracing market reforms and paving the way for China's meteoric economic growth. He stepped down as party chief in 2002 and president in 2003.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Doing the hustle: Are side gigs a sign of impending recession?In the Spotlight More workers are 'padding their finances while they can'
-
The ambiguous legal state of ectopic pregnancy careThe Explainer Rep. Kat Cammack's accusations of 'fearmongering' are the latest example of how mixed messages are complicating the debate around abortion
-
New York plans first nuclear plant in 36 yearsSpeed Read The plant, to be constructed somewhere in upstate New York, will produce enough energy to power a million homes
-
Despairing husband creates 'Taylor Swift jar'Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
-
Urine video dents Chinese beer brandTall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
