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

“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.