According to the BBC.
China’s former leader Jiang Zemin, who came to power after the Tiananmen Square protests, has died at 96.
He died just after 12:00 local time (04:00 GMT) on Wednesday, according to state media.
During Jiang’s reign, China opened up on a large scale and experienced rapid growth.
His death comes as China sees some of its most serious protests since Tiananmen, with many demonstrating against Covid restrictions.
A Chinese Communist Party statement said he died of leukaemia and multiple organ failure.
It added that he was recognised “as an outstanding leader with high prestige” and “a long-tested Communist fighter”.
State media outlets, including the Global Times and the Xinhua news agency, turned their websites black and white in tribute.
State broadcaster CCTV lauded his role after the bloody 1989 crackdown on protesters in and around Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.
IMAGE SOURCE: BBC NEWS / REUTERS
