Communist Party of China invokes Jiang’s legacy in call to rally round Xi’s leadership

A leading research group affiliated with the Communist Party of China has invoked the legacy of former leader Jiang Zemin, calling for unity and support behind President Xi Jinping's leadership. The article, published on Sunday in the party's official newspaper, People's Daily, is part of commemorations marking the centenary of Jiang's birth.

The piece emphasized the importance of rallying around the current leadership, particularly in the face of economic and geopolitical difficulties. It referenced the period under the "party's third-generation leadership with Comrade Jiang Zemin at its core," during which China reportedly navigated international emergencies concerning sovereignty and security, as well as various domestic risks. The article stated that this leadership ensured "the ship of reform, opening-up and modernisation always forged ahead along the right course."

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Under the party’s third-generation leadership with Comrade Jiang Zemin at its core, China calmly responded to a set of international emergencies which mattered to China’s sovereignty and security, and weathered difficulties and risks in political and economic sectors as well as natural disasters … ensuring that the ship of reform, opening-up and modernisation always forged ahead along the right course.

This invocation of Jiang's legacy is part of a broader pattern where Beijing uses such commemorative events to foster solidarity within the party and draw inspiration from its elder statesmen. Other events honoring Jiang, who passed away in 2022 at age 96, include a television documentary, commemorative postage stamps, and a symposium on his defense thinking. Xi is scheduled to deliver a speech on Monday, the anniversary of Jiang's birth.

The call for unity comes ahead of a significant party meeting scheduled for October, which is seen as a crucial event in the lead-up to next year's party congress where leadership changes are anticipated. The People's Daily article also urged the country to "accelerate" efforts toward technological self-reliance, signaling a key period for Beijing's ambitions to strengthen its position in the global hi-tech supply chain and compete with the United States.

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