JIANG ZEMIN BECOMES PRESIDENT OF CHINA, March 27, 1993

JIANG ZEMIN 

BECOMES 

PRESIDENT OF CHINA 

March 27, 1993 

JIANG ZEMIN 

CONDUCTS A PRESS CONFERENCE 

IN THE GREAT HALL OF THE PEOPLE, 

BEIJING, 

IN NOVEMBER 2002, 

NEAR THE END OF HIS PRESIDENCY 

Jiang Zemin was brought in from Shanghai in 1989 after the Tiananmen crackdown by Deng Xiaoping, China's "paramount leader." He was, according to Deng's plan, succeeded by Hu Jintao, first as Party General Secretary, and then as president. If the next succession goes as scheduled, Hu will be replaced as General Secretary in the fall of 2012, and then as president two years from now, in March 2013. The leader-in-waiting is Xi Jinping. 

Especially considering what happened under Mao Zedong, if this succession comes to pass, it will, for better or worse, be impressive. 

"HU JINTAO HELPS JIANG ZEMIN OFF THE STAGE," here 

"POWER HUG": JIANG ZEMIN & BORIS YELTSIN, here