Chinese President Xi Jinping praised Jiang Zemin as a leader who led China’s boom despite Western pressure and domestic turmoil after the Tiananmen crackdown, using his predecessor’s memorial service to bolster his own assertive agenda.
Xi credited Jiang, who took power right after Chinese troops crushed pro-democracy demonstrations in Tiananmen Square in 1989, with carrying out the Communist Party’s "correct decision” to resolve what he described only as a "severe political disturbance.” While Xi’s remarks Tuesday reiterated the party’s view on the incident, it also served as warning in light of protests that have sprung up in recent weeks to challenge Xi’s "zero-COVID" policies.
"Some Western countries imposed so-called sanctions against China, posing unprecedented difficulties and pressure for the development of China’s socialism,” Xi recounted for party leaders assembled in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, draped with black instead of the usual red.