Jiang Zemin, former Chinese leader passed away due to leukemia and multiple organ failure at the age of 96, the local media reported on Wednesday.
Xinhua news agency reported that he passed away at 12:13 pm in Shanghai. He served as general secretary of the Communist party, as chairman of the Central Military Commission, and as president of China.
According to state media, the announcement was made by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
A letter addressed to the entire Party, the entire military, and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups announced Jiang’s passing.
According to the letter, they announce with with sorrow that our beloved Comrade Jiang Zemin passed away from leukaemia and multiple organ failure after all medical interventions had failed to the entire Party, the entire military, and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups.
The letter says that the leader was an “outstanding leader enjoying high prestige acknowledged by the whole Party, the entire military and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, a great Marxist, a great proletarian revolutionary, statesman, military strategist and diplomat.”
A long-time communist fighter and prominent leader of the important cause of socialism with Chinese features, he was also defined in this way.
Jiang was the main figurehead of the CPC’s third generation of central collective leadership and the main proponent of the Theory of Three Represents, according to Xinhua.