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

A leading Communist Party research group has invoked the legacy of China’s former leader Jiang Zemin in a call to rally round President Xi Jinping.

The article by the Institute of Party History and Literature, published on Sunday in the party’s mouthpiece People’s Daily, formed part of the commemorations of the centenary of Jiang’s birth and highlighted the importance of supporting the leadership in the face of economic or geopolitical difficulties.

“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,” the article said.

Other events commemorating the legacy of Jiang, who died in 2022 at the age of 96, include a recent 12-part television documentary, commemorative postage stamps, a symposium to discuss his thinking about defence and a gathering in Beijing on Monday – the anniversary of his birth – where Xi will give a speech.

Beijing often uses such events to rally the party and draw inspiration from its elder statesmen.

The latest call for solidarity and unity comes ahead of a key party meeting in October. This will be the most important event in the run-up to next year’s party congress, where the leadership team is likely to be given an extensive overhaul.

The article called for the country to “accelerate” efforts to boost its technological self-reliance, and the next few years are likely to prove a key period for Beijing’s efforts to cement its position in the global hi-tech supply chain and gain an advantage over the United States.