Praises the late Jiang Zemin Ensures Party's Survival Amid Storms, President Xi: He Made Bold Decisions at Critical Times

JAKARTA - Chinese President Xi Jinping paid tribute to former leader Jiang Zemin on Tuesday, for ensuring the survival of the Communist Party from political storms, reforming it to inject new vitality and modernize the country's economy.

Jiang Zemin, who died last Wednesday at the age of 96, baffled naysayers, chalking up a list of accomplishments in breaking China from diplomatic isolation in the post-Tiananmen era, improving relations with the United States, and overseeing an unprecedented economic boom.

Speaking at a state memorial service for Jiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, President Xi said the deceased took over at a time when the party, military, and state were at a "serious moment due to external pressure and internal difficulties", referencing the 1989 pro-democracy protests around Tiananmen Square.

"In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a serious political storm occurred at home and abroad and world socialism experienced severe complications. Several Western countries imposed so-called 'sanctions' against China", President Xi told the audience including Chinese official and Jiang Zemin's successor, Hu Jintao, reported Reuters on December 6.

"However, Jiang stepped forward to press for reform and opening up, strengthen party-people ties, engage in diplomatic struggles, and uphold China's independence, dignity, security, and stability", Xi added.

Jiang, who was cremated on Monday, had a firm belief, according to President Xi.

"He has extraordinary courage to make bold decisions and great courage to carry out theoretical innovations at critical moments", he praised.

President Xi described Jiang Zemin's death as an untold loss, saying the country must turn grief into strength and use its legacy to write a new chapter in the party's development.

"Don't believe in evil, don't be afraid of ghosts or pressure, and do your best to overcome all kinds of difficulties and challenges on the way forward", said President Xi.

The ceremony participants all stood as Xi spoke, and wore white chrysanthemums, a traditional Chinese symbol of mourning.

Jiang Zemin's death has sparked a wave of nostalgia for the relatively more liberal times he has overseen.

He died during a tumultuous China, where authorities were grappling with rare street protests among residents fed up with tough COVID-19 restrictions three years after the pandemic.