China's Communist Party Invokes Jiang's 100th Birthday to Rally Support for Xi
Updated
Updated · South China Morning Post · Aug 16
China's Communist Party Invokes Jiang's 100th Birthday to Rally Support for Xi
3 articles · Updated · South China Morning Post · Aug 16
Summary
A People’s Daily article marking Jiang Zemin’s centenary cast his era as proof the party can survive “rough waters,” using the anniversary to press officials and the public to unite behind Xi Jinping.
The campaign extends beyond the article to a 12-part TV documentary, commemorative stamps, a defence symposium and a Beijing gathering on Monday, where Xi is due to speak on Jiang’s birth anniversary.
That unity push comes ahead of an October party meeting, the most important political event before next year’s party congress, when China’s leadership lineup is expected to undergo a broad reshuffle.
The article also urged faster technological self-reliance, tying party cohesion to Beijing’s longer-term drive to secure a stronger position in global high-tech supply chains and compete with the United States.
Why is Xi using Jiang Zemin’s centenary to demand unity now—and what does it signal before October’s key Party meeting?
Is Jiang’s legacy being honored mainly as history—or repurposed as a warning about how China should navigate today’s ‘rough waters’?
Can China’s push for tech self-reliance strengthen its global position without worsening weak demand, private-sector caution, and supply-chain fragmentation?