TOPIC

/ people

Jiang Zemin

Former Chinese president Jiang Zemin died in Shanghai on November 30, 2022, aged 96. Jiang, who was born in Yangzhou, Jiangsu in 1926, graduated from Shanghai Jiaotong University with a degree in electronic engineering, and rose up in state-owned factories and government agencies overseeing industries. He was promoted to China's top power bench soon after the bloody crackdown on student movement in Beijing in 1989, becoming general secretary of the Party and chairman of its Central Military Commission. He became president in 1993. He held on to the military chief job for two more years even after handing the Party leadership and presidency to successor Hu Jintao in 2002-2003. He was believed to still wield massive influence on Chinese politics a decade after his retirement.

Born

17 Aug 1926

Industry

Politics

Job Title

Former General Secretary of the Communist Party of China

The bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade prompted widespred anger and rare public demonstrations. Photo: AFP

US-China relations

Can India react to Gulf deaths in same way China did after 1999 embassy bombing?

Beijing’s reaction to the Belgrade incident could be a template for New Delhi, but some analysts warn it faces very different circumstances.

16 Jun 2026 - 3:02PMvideocam

Trending in China

Legacy in ink: how calligraphy links China’s political heritage to academia

19 May 2026 - 6:00PM

From our archives

On This Day | Hong Kong’s iconic Bank of China Tower opens in 1990 – SCMP archive

17 May 2026 - 11:15AM

My Take

My Take | Iran has shown the West’s containment of China is a fool’s errand

Countries across the world will be wise to hedge their bets with Beijing as the war exposes US security ‘guarantees’ as burdens and liabilities for allies.

29 Mar 2026 - 9:15PM

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping talk as they leave a bilateral meeting at Gimhae International Airport, on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Busan, South Korea, on October 30. Photo: Reuters/File Photo

My Take

My Take | In China, AI is about job creation and quality, not mass retrenchments

Beijing aims at tech diffusion and minimising social disruptions, rather than competing for supremacy with the United States.

23 Mar 2026 - 12:41AMvideocam

US-China relations

Opinion | US national security focus throws a spanner in the workings of global trade

While attention to legitimate national security interests is justified, trade matters have traditionally been viewed as a parallel sphere.

18 Nov 2025 - 5:08PMvideocam

Women and gender

China to host global women’s summit, with Xi Jinping to deliver keynote speech

Summit on October 13-14 aims to push ‘global pursuit of gender equality and women’s development’, China’s foreign ministry says.

9 Oct 2025 - 7:58PMvideocam

Beijing will co-host a summit with the UN marking the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. Photo: EPA

China's military weapons

The Front Line | Guerrilla warfare to hi-tech: how China’s military parades have evolved

Along with the marching and ceremony, these events are used to showcase advanced equipment developed for the People’s Liberation Army.

31 Aug 2025 - 5:01PMvideocam

Mergers & Acquisitions

China’s oldest carmaker eyes stake in Leapmotor amid EV surge

The investment, which is yet to be finalised, would lead to joint development of EVs and bolster overseas expansion, report says.

20 Aug 2025 - 7:00PM

Hong Kong society

James Shing, former executive of Hong Kong’s ATV, dies at 48 after cancer battle

Shing was diagnosed in June with liver cancer and survived by his wife and two children.

19 Aug 2025 - 10:59AM

James Shing, former executive director of ATV, has died at age 48. Photo: SCMP

Hong Kong society

Opinion | Hong Kong needs to better understand and balance ‘one country, two systems’

Officials should do more to help Beijing figure out how Hong Kong’s unique capitalist character can best serve national interests.

7 Jul 2025 - 5:30AMvideocam

US-China relations

Opinion | Why Xi’s decision to talk to Trump during trade crisis speaks volumes

In times of US-China tension, Chinese leaders tend to rebuff calls from their American counterparts. Xi choosing to speak to Trump stands out.

9 Jun 2025 - 8:30PMvideocam

China’s Communist Party

How did China’s 5-year plans deliver an economic miracle and what’s next?

The national strategic blueprint has evolved from its roots in a Soviet-style planned economy to today’s more responsive model.

2 May 2025 - 7:47PMvideocam

US-China relations

China pays tribute to former US president Jimmy Carter, ‘promoter’ of ties

Human rights champion welcomed Deng Xiaoping to White House in landmark 1979 trip capping official diplomatic ties between Beijing and Washington.

30 Dec 2024 - 9:48PMvideocam

Former US president Jimmy Carter (left) greets Deng Xiaoping outside the Oval Office of the White House on January 28, 1979. Photo: AP

China economy

Opinion | Third plenary magic: Beijing has fresh chance to restore investor confidence

Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin used third plenary sessions to usher in new eras of growth. Beijing should do it again.

11 Jun 2024 - 7:13AM

The end of Maoist policies that ushered in the era of reform and opening up happened at a third plenary session. Some hope the third plenary magic touch will return next month. Photo: Handout

Artificial intelligence

My Take | New catchphrase hints at China’s chase for tech-led economic revival

The concept of ‘new productive forces’ shows that China’s top leadership has realised that the traditional model of relying on debt-fuelled investment to drive growth has reached its limit.

5 Mar 2024 - 7:00AM

US-China relations

Opinion | The adversarial thrust in US policy makes it hard for China to trust

The US seeks cooperation while also reserving the right to compete and confront. But for China, every confrontation diminishes its willingness to collaborate and trust.

10 Mar 2023 - 2:33AMvideocam

China economy

China Briefing | Xi’s Chinese dream in danger of being hijacked by ultra-left nationalism

The ultra-leftist revival threatens Xi’s plans to revive the economy and turn China into a dominant world power by 2049. It’s time to curb these ultra-nationalistic tendencies and return to pragmatic reform and development.

6 Mar 2023 - 1:00AMvideocam

Banking & finance

Mao’s former barefoot doctor recalls sole foreign takeover of Chinese bank

Shan Weijian was the co-managing partner of San Francisco-based private-equity firm Newbridge Capital when it took over a controlling stake in Shenzhen Development Bank in 2005.

2 Feb 2023 - 5:19PMvideocam

China economy

China needs to trust the power of capital to reboot its economy

Deng Xiaoping’s embrace of economic liberalisation unleashed a boom in private entrepreneurship in China, but the confidence that entrepreneurs had in Beijing to protect their interests has somewhat weakened in the past decade.

10 Jan 2023 - 7:00AM

Xi Jinping

Xi Jinping’s year in photographs revealed in New Year broadcast

Former president Jiang Zemin’s passing acknowledged in speech and with two pictures added to Xi’s office collection.

2 Jan 2023 - 4:10PM

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers his New Year’s Eve address on Saturday from his Beijing office. Photo: EPA-EFE

Global Impact

‘Comrade Jiang Zemin’ remembered, but what does his death mean for China?

In this edition of the Global Impact newsletter, we look back at the life and achievements of former Chinese president Jiang Zemin, and ahead to what the future holds for China.

12 Dec 2022 - 2:16PMvideocam

Former president Jiang Zemin died in Shanghai at the end of last month, aged 96. Photo: Reuters

Communist Party politics

Ashes of former Chinese president Jiang Zemin scattered into the sea

Jiang’s relatives say their final farewells as they strew his remains on waters at the entrance to the Yangtze River.

11 Dec 2022 - 9:00PMvideocam

China property

With China property-market deep freeze thawing, will boom times return soon?

The policy ‘arrows’ Beijing fired in November will aid debt-trapped developers, but observers differ on the timing and magnitude of a rebound, while some doubt the boom times will ever return.

16 Dec 2022 - 12:45PM

China economy

Opinion | Political pragmatism has always driven China’s economic growth

With pragmatic leaders like Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin, China’s opening up was a lesson in how far small investments can go when paired with the right policy framework and a willingness to adapt. As Beijing moves to ease parts of its zero-Covid policy, there is hope these virtues live on.

8 Dec 2022 - 5:26AMvideocam

People walk along a pedestrian street in Shanghai. Time and again, when the national policy framework in place favoured a readiness to learn, adapt and change, rapid progress followed. Photo: AFP

Xi Jinping

Editorial | New journey by Xi to build on foundations laid by reformer Jiang

As China moves forward, the legacy of Jiang Zemin will prove invaluable for President Xi Jinping, who faces challenges equal to those overcome by his predecessor.

7 Dec 2022 - 5:38AMvideocam

Xi Jinping leads other officials to bow during a formal memorial for the late former Chinese President Jiang Zemin at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday. Screengrab: CCTV via AP

China’s Communist Party

Xi Jinping hails Jiang Zemin for steering China through tough times

Xi vows to carry on with opening up to the world while also working for ‘national rejuvenation’.

6 Dec 2022 - 11:44PMvideocam

US-China relations

As I see it | Jiang Zemin paved the way for China’s rise, helped by diplomats like Liu Huaqiu

Foreign policy aide Liu, who died last month at 83, was a key player in handling US affairs after the Tiananmen crackdown.

6 Dec 2022 - 9:00PMvideocam

Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.

SUPPORT NOW

Jiang Zemin

Can India react to Gulf deaths in same way China did after 1999 embassy bombing?

Beijing’s reaction to the Belgrade incident could be a template for New Delhi, but some analysts warn it faces very different circumstances.

Legacy in ink: how calligraphy links China’s political heritage to academia

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}On This Day | Hong Kong’s iconic Bank of China Tower opens in 1990 – SCMP archive

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}My Take | Iran has shown the West’s containment of China is a fool’s errand

Countries across the world will be wise to hedge their bets with Beijing as the war exposes US security ‘guarantees’ as burdens and liabilities for allies.

My Take | In China, AI is about job creation and quality, not mass retrenchments

Beijing aims at tech diffusion and minimising social disruptions, rather than competing for supremacy with the United States.

Opinion | US national security focus throws a spanner in the workings of global trade

While attention to legitimate national security interests is justified, trade matters have traditionally been viewed as a parallel sphere.

China to host global women’s summit, with Xi Jinping to deliver keynote speech

Summit on October 13-14 aims to push ‘global pursuit of gender equality and women’s development’, China’s foreign ministry says.

The Front Line | Guerrilla warfare to hi-tech: how China’s military parades have evolved

Along with the marching and ceremony, these events are used to showcase advanced equipment developed for the People’s Liberation Army.

China’s oldest carmaker eyes stake in Leapmotor amid EV surge

The investment, which is yet to be finalised, would lead to joint development of EVs and bolster overseas expansion, report says.

James Shing, former executive of Hong Kong’s ATV, dies at 48 after cancer battle

Shing was diagnosed in June with liver cancer and survived by his wife and two children.

Opinion | Hong Kong needs to better understand and balance ‘one country, two systems’

Officials should do more to help Beijing figure out how Hong Kong’s unique capitalist character can best serve national interests.

Opinion | Why Xi’s decision to talk to Trump during trade crisis speaks volumes

In times of US-China tension, Chinese leaders tend to rebuff calls from their American counterparts. Xi choosing to speak to Trump stands out.

How did China’s 5-year plans deliver an economic miracle and what’s next?

The national strategic blueprint has evolved from its roots in a Soviet-style planned economy to today’s more responsive model.

China pays tribute to former US president Jimmy Carter, ‘promoter’ of ties

Human rights champion welcomed Deng Xiaoping to White House in landmark 1979 trip capping official diplomatic ties between Beijing and Washington.

Opinion | Third plenary magic: Beijing has fresh chance to restore investor confidence

Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin used third plenary sessions to usher in new eras of growth. Beijing should do it again.

My Take | New catchphrase hints at China’s chase for tech-led economic revival

The concept of ‘new productive forces’ shows that China’s top leadership has realised that the traditional model of relying on debt-fuelled investment to drive growth has reached its limit.

Opinion | The adversarial thrust in US policy makes it hard for China to trust

The US seeks cooperation while also reserving the right to compete and confront. But for China, every confrontation diminishes its willingness to collaborate and trust.

China Briefing | Xi’s Chinese dream in danger of being hijacked by ultra-left nationalism

The ultra-leftist revival threatens Xi’s plans to revive the economy and turn China into a dominant world power by 2049. It’s time to curb these ultra-nationalistic tendencies and return to pragmatic reform and development.

Mao’s former barefoot doctor recalls sole foreign takeover of Chinese bank

Shan Weijian was the co-managing partner of San Francisco-based private-equity firm Newbridge Capital when it took over a controlling stake in Shenzhen Development Bank in 2005.

China needs to trust the power of capital to reboot its economy

Deng Xiaoping’s embrace of economic liberalisation unleashed a boom in private entrepreneurship in China, but the confidence that entrepreneurs had in Beijing to protect their interests has somewhat weakened in the past decade.

Xi Jinping’s year in photographs revealed in New Year broadcast

Former president Jiang Zemin’s passing acknowledged in speech and with two pictures added to Xi’s office collection.

‘Comrade Jiang Zemin’ remembered, but what does his death mean for China?

In this edition of the Global Impact newsletter, we look back at the life and achievements of former Chinese president Jiang Zemin, and ahead to what the future holds for China.

Ashes of former Chinese president Jiang Zemin scattered into the sea

Jiang’s relatives say their final farewells as they strew his remains on waters at the entrance to the Yangtze River.

With China property-market deep freeze thawing, will boom times return soon?

The policy ‘arrows’ Beijing fired in November will aid debt-trapped developers, but observers differ on the timing and magnitude of a rebound, while some doubt the boom times will ever return.

Opinion | Political pragmatism has always driven China’s economic growth

With pragmatic leaders like Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin, China’s opening up was a lesson in how far small investments can go when paired with the right policy framework and a willingness to adapt. As Beijing moves to ease parts of its zero-Covid policy, there is hope these virtues live on.

Editorial | New journey by Xi to build on foundations laid by reformer Jiang

As China moves forward, the legacy of Jiang Zemin will prove invaluable for President Xi Jinping, who faces challenges equal to those overcome by his predecessor.

Xi Jinping hails Jiang Zemin for steering China through tough times

Xi vows to carry on with opening up to the world while also working for ‘national rejuvenation’.

As I see it | Jiang Zemin paved the way for China’s rise, helped by diplomats like Liu Huaqiu

Foreign policy aide Liu, who died last month at 83, was a key player in handling US affairs after the Tiananmen crackdown.

On This Day | Hong Kong’s iconic Bank of China Tower opens in 1990 – SCMP archive

My Take | Iran has shown the West’s containment of China is a fool’s errand