Beijing, Aug 17 : Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday said it is “imperative” for the members of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) to uphold the party's overall leadership, as he paid tributes to former president Jiang Zemin on his birth centenary.
Jiang served as CPC general secretary from 1989 to 2002 and as Chinese president from 1993 to 2003. He died in 2022 at the age of 96.
Addressing a grand ceremony at the Great Hall of the People here to commemorate Jiang's birth centenary, Xi urged party members to learn from the former leader's firmness in handling crises, political conviction, adherence to communist ideals and loyalty to the party.
"On the new journey, it is imperative to uphold the overall leadership of the party and the centralised, unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee, unswervingly strengthen the full and rigorous party self-governance, and ensure the party remains the strong leadership core in the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics,” Xi was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency.
Thousands of party officials attended the ceremony, including all seven members of the Politburo Standing Committee, the CPC's highest decision-making body, as well as several retired state leaders.
Former premier Wen Jiabao and former vice-presidents Wang Qishan and Zeng Qinghong were among those present.
However, former president Hu Jintao was absent, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.
Jiang stepped down as CPC general secretary in 2002 and handed over the presidency to Hu in 2003. He remained chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the top command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), until 2004, overseeing a gradual transition to a new generation of Chinese leadership.
Jiang took charge following the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, when Chinese security forces moved against student-led protests demanding democracy and greater political freedoms.
He navigated China through Western sanctions following the crackdown, the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the Asian financial crisis of 1997-98, while pursuing economic reforms and opening up.
Praising Jiang’s leadership, Xi said he had remained firm in his communist ideals, made resolute decisions at key historical junctures and critical moments, and responded to risks and challenges, while ensuring the steady advancement of China’s reform and socialist modernisation.
Xi took over as CPC general secretary from Hu in 2012 and became president in 2013. He is currently serving an unprecedented third five-year term and is widely expected to seek a fourth term at the party’s national congress next year.
Xi is the only CPC leader after party founder Mao Zedong to remain in power beyond two five-year terms. He has also been designated the party’s “core” leader, a status previously accorded only to Mao.
China will hold the funeral of former Premier Zhu Rongji on Tuesday, who died on August 12 at age 98.
Zhu served as premier from 1998 to 2003 and was known for his anti-corruption drive, efforts to reform China’s centrally planned economy and sweeping changes to the state-owned enterprise sector.
