Jiang Zemin (redirected from Jiang Ze Min)

Jiang Zemin (jyäng` zŭ`mĭn`), 1926–, 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 since 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.

Bibliography

See B. Gilley, Tiger on the Brink (1999).

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Jiang Zemin

(born Aug. 17, 1926, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China) General secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP; 1989–2002) and president of China (1993–2003). He started his career in Shanghai as an engineer, received training abroad, and gradually rose through the ranks of the CCP. He was named mayor of Shanghai in 1985 and chairman of China's Central Military Commission in 1989. He replaced Zhao Ziyang as general secretary in June 1989 following the Tiananmen Square incident. Jiang combined a pragmatic, reform-minded economic policy with an insistence that the party maintain strong control over the government. After serving the maximum two five-year terms as president, Jiang was succeeded by Hu Jintao. He remained in charge of the Central Military Commission until stepping down in favour of Hu in 2004.

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Jiang Zemin

born 1926, Chinese Communist politician: president (1993--2003)