The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China
The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China
The State Council of the People's Republic of China
The National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China
A Message to the Whole Party, the Entire Military, and People of All Ethnic Groups Across the Nation

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China, the State Council of the People's Republic of China, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China and the People's Republic of China, with profound sorrow, announce to the entire Party, the military, and people of all ethnic groups across the nation: Our beloved Comrade Jiang Zemin, suffering from leukemia combined with multiple organ failure, passed away at 12:13 on November 30, 2022, in Shanghai, despite all medical efforts, at the age of 96.

Comrade Jiang Zemin was an outstanding leader widely recognized by our Party, military, and people of all ethnic groups across the country, enjoying high prestige. He was a great Marxist, a great proletarian revolutionary, statesman, military strategist, and diplomat, a tested communist fighter, a distinguished leader of the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the core of the Party's third-generation central leadership collective, and the principal founder of the important thought of Three Represents.

Comrade Jiang Zemin diligently pursued knowledge and sought truth from an early age, inspired by patriotic and democratic revolutionary ideas. During his university years, his active participation in the patriotic resistance against Japanese aggression shaped his Marxist worldview, solidified his life's direction, and ultimately established his ideals and faith in striving for national liberation and people's happiness. After graduating from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 1947, Comrade Jiang Zemin worked in factories, engaging in revolutionary propaganda among workers and young professionals at night schools organized by the YMCA. In 1949, he mobilized workers to protect factories in preparation for the liberation of Shanghai.

In the early years of the People's Republic of China, Comrade Jiang Zemin successively served as the First Deputy Director of the Shanghai Yimin Food Factory No. 1, First Deputy Director of the Shanghai Soap Factory, and Chief of the Electrical Engineering Section at the Shanghai Second Design Branch of the First Ministry of Machine Building. In 1954, when the state began constructing the First Automobile Works in Changchun, requiring a large number of technical and managerial personnel, Comrade Jiang Zemin was transferred there. In 1955, he went to the Stalin Automobile Plant in Moscow, Soviet Union, for practical training. After returning to China in 1956, he held positions as Deputy Director of the Power Department, Deputy Chief Power Engineer, and Director of the Power Sub-Factory at the First Automobile Works in Changchun. In 1962, he was transferred to serve as Deputy Director of the Shanghai Electrical Apparatus Research Institute under the First Ministry of Machine Building, overseeing its scientific research leadership. In 1966, he was appointed Director and Acting Party Committee Secretary of the Wuhan Thermal Power Machinery Research Institute, later becoming the Party Committee Secretary, organizing the design of nuclear power generation equipment. During the Cultural Revolution, Comrade Jiang Zemin faced persecution. In 1970, he was reassigned to the First Ministry of Machine Building. In 1971, he served as the Head of the Chinese Expert Group dispatched by the First Ministry of Machine Building to Romania. Returning to China in 1973, he successively held positions as Deputy Director and then Director of the Foreign Affairs Bureau of the First Ministry of Machine Building. In 1980, Comrade Jiang Zemin became Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the State Import-Export Administration Commission and the State Foreign Investment Commission, leading groundbreaking initiatives such as implementing special policies and flexible measures in Guangdong and Fujian provinces and establishing economic pilot zones. In 1982, he was appointed First Vice Minister and Deputy Party Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics Industry, becoming Minister and Party Secretary in 1983, making significant contributions to the development of China's electronics industry. In September 1982, Comrade Jiang Zemin was elected as a member of the Central Committee at the 12th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

In 1985, Comrade Jiang Zemin served as the Mayor of Shanghai and Deputy Secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). In 1987, at the First Plenary Session of the 13th CPC Central Committee, he was elected as a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and appointed as Secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the CPC. During his tenure as Mayor and Secretary, Comrade Jiang Zemin led the cadres and masses of Shanghai in revitalizing their spirit and boldly exploring new paths, achieving significant breakthroughs in Shanghai's reform, opening-up, and socialist modernization. The development and opening of Pudong were strategically planned, and major progress was made in party building, cultural and ethical development, and social construction. During the severe political turmoil in China in the spring and summer of 1989, Comrade Jiang Zemin upheld and implemented the Party Central Committee's correct decision to unequivocally oppose the turmoil, defend the socialist state power, and safeguard the fundamental interests of the people. Relying closely on the broad ranks of Party members, cadres, and the masses, he effectively maintained stability in Shanghai.

In 1989, at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 13th CPC Central Committee, Comrade Jiang Zemin was elected as a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee. In the same year, the Fifth Plenary Session of the 13th CPC Central Committee appointed him as Chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission. In 1990, at the Third Session of the Seventh National People's Congress, he was elected as Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China.

Comrade Jiang Zemin was the core of the Party's third-generation central collective leadership. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, severe political disturbances occurred both internationally and domestically, socialism faced serious setbacks worldwide, and the development of China's socialist cause encountered unprecedented difficulties and pressures. At this critical historical juncture that determined the future and destiny of the Party and the country, Comrade Jiang Zemin led the Party's central leadership collective, firmly relying on the entire Party, the military, and people of all ethnic groups across the nation. He resolutely upheld the Four Cardinal Principles, safeguarded national independence, dignity, security, and stability, unwaveringly focused on economic construction as the central task, persisted in reform and opening up, defended the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and opened up new prospects for China's reform, opening up, and socialist modernization.

During the 13 years from the Fourth Plenary Session of the 13th Central Committee to the 16th National Congress of the Party, the international situation underwent dramatic changes, and China's reform, opening up, and socialist modernization advanced with great momentum. Under extremely complex domestic and international circumstances, Comrade Jiang Zemin led the Party's central leadership collective, holding high the great banners of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, and Deng Xiaoping Theory, and unwaveringly adhered to the Party's basic line. He united the entire Party and people of all ethnic groups nationwide, seized opportunities, deepened reforms, expanded opening up, promoted development, and maintained stability. He established the reform goal and basic framework of the socialist market economy, defined the basic economic system with public ownership as the mainstay and diverse forms of ownership developing together during the primary stage of socialism, and the distribution system with distribution according to work as the mainstay alongside multiple forms of distribution. He formulated and implemented a series of policies, principles, and major strategies to promote reform, development, and stability, vigorously advanced reforms in the economic, political, cultural, and other fields, pioneered a new phase of comprehensive reform and opening up, implemented the basic strategy of governing the country according to law, adhered to the principle of "peaceful reunification and one country, two systems," ensured the smooth return of Hong Kong and Macao, upheld an independent foreign policy of peace, opened up new prospects in diplomatic work, advanced the new great project of Party building, and achieved remarkable new progress in building socialist material, political, and spiritual civilization, successfully propelling socialism with Chinese characteristics into the 21st century. Under the leadership of the Party's third-generation central collective leadership with Comrade Jiang Zemin at its core, we calmly responded to a series of international incidents concerning China's sovereignty and security, overcame difficulties and risks emerging in political, economic, and natural domains, and ensured that the ship of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization always forged ahead in the right direction.The tremendous achievements made by our Party and country over the 13 years since the Fourth Plenary Session of the 13th Central Committee are inseparable from Comrade Jiang Zemin's exceptional leadership as a Marxist statesman, his pivotal role, and his superb political leadership skills.

During his tenure as Chairman of the Central Military Commission, Comrade Jiang Zemin profoundly observed and grasped the significant changes in domestic and international situations as well as the development trends of the new global military revolution. He put forward a series of new theories and measures to strengthen national defense and military modernization, enriching and developing Mao Zedong's military thought and Deng Xiaoping's military construction theory for the new era. He established Jiang Zemin's thoughts on national defense and military construction, leading to tremendous achievements in the modernization of national defense and the armed forces. Comrade Jiang Zemin emphasized the need to adhere to the principle of coordinated development between national defense and economic construction, and to strengthen the revolutionization, modernization, and regularization of the People's Army. He called for comprehensively advancing the construction of the People's Army in accordance with the overarching requirements of political integrity, military excellence, strong discipline, and effective logistics, focusing on the two historic missions of winning battles and resisting corruption. He insisted on the absolute leadership of the Party over the People's Army without wavering, always placing ideological and political construction at the forefront of all military endeavors to preserve the nature, essence, and traditions of the People's Army. He advocated implementing the military strategic guideline of active defense, advancing military reforms with Chinese characteristics, and steadfastly following the path of building a streamlined and efficient military with Chinese characteristics aimed at creating an informationized force capable of winning informationized wars, thereby achieving leapfrog modernization of the military. He promoted the strategy of strengthening the military through science and technology, upheld strict governance, rule of law, and frugality in military construction, explored the characteristics and laws of military governance under new historical conditions, and advanced all aspects of military development in step with the times. He deepened reforms in the defense science, technology, and industry systems, enhanced independent innovation capabilities, accelerated the development of defense technology and equipment, and pioneered a cost-effective approach to military modernization. In line with the principles of integrating peacetime with wartime needs, combining military and civilian efforts, and embedding military development within civilian frameworks, he worked to improve national defense mobilization capabilities, develop strategies and tactics for people's war under high-tech conditions, and strengthen unity between the military and the people. All these efforts have long-term guiding significance for strengthening national defense and military modernization.

Comrade Jiang Zemin adhered to the Marxist ideological line, respected practice and the people, accurately grasped the characteristics of the times, and made a scientific judgment of our Party’s historical position. With the theme of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, he put forward a series of new thoughts, viewpoints, and conclusions concerning reform, development, and stability, internal and foreign affairs, national defense, and Party, state, and military governance. He made outstanding contributions to upholding and developing the Party’s basic theory, line, platform, and experience. In particular, by pooling the collective wisdom of the Party, he founded the Theory of Three Represents, which advanced the Party’s guiding thought to keep pace with the times. This fully demonstrated his tremendous political courage and theoretical courage as a true Marxist. The Theory of Three Represents underlines that our Party must always represent the development trend of China’s advanced productive forces, the orientation of China’s advanced culture, and the fundamental interests of the broadest majority of the Chinese people. It follows the general laws governing the advancement of human history, conforms to the trends of the times and the requirements of China’s social development and progress, reflects the interests and aspirations of people of all ethnic groups in the country, and addresses the fundamental questions concerning how to enhance the Party’s governance capability, consolidate its governance position, and fulfill its governance mission under new circumstances. The Theory of Three Represents is most distinctive for and makes its most prominent contribution with a series of closely connected and mutually reinforcing new thoughts, viewpoints, and conclusions. It provides further answers to what socialism is and how to build it, and offers creative answers to what kind of Party we must build and how to build it. It represents an inheritance and development of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, and Deng Xiaoping Theory, and it deepens our understanding of the laws on advancing the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics and strengthening Party building under new historical conditions.

Comrade Jiang Zemin attached great importance to major strategic issues concerning the Party and the people’s cause. In preparing for the 16th CPC National Congress, he took the initiative to propose that he should no longer hold a central leadership position or serve on the Central Committee in order to facilitate the transition to a younger generation of central leadership and to ensure the long-term development of the Party and the state as well as their enduring peace and stability. The Party Central Committee accepted his request. In light of the complex and fast-changing international situation and the heavy tasks facing national defense and the armed forces, the First Plenary Session of the 16th CPC Central Committee decided that Comrade Jiang Zemin should stay on as Chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission. After the plenary session, Comrade Jiang Zemin gave his full support to the work of the new central leadership with Comrade Hu Jintao as General Secretary and fulfilled the duties the Party Central Committee entrusted him with to the best of his ability. In 2004, Comrade Jiang Zemin took the overall interests of the long-term development of the Party and the state into consideration and took the initiative once again to resign as Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Party and the state, which was a testament to his great foresight regarding the development of the Party and state.

After stepping down from his leadership position, Comrade Jiang Zemin resolutely supported and upheld the work of the Party Central Committee, cared deeply for the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and firmly backed the Party's efforts to improve its work style and integrity as well as the fight against corruption. In 2006, Comrade Jiang Zemin personally oversaw the compilation and reviewed each piece included in the Selected Works of Jiang Zemin, Volumes I, II, and III. The Selected Works mainly comprise his representative and original important works from the late 1980s to the early 21st century. It serves as an important resource for us to gain a deeper understanding of the Theory of Three Represents and to continue advancing the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the new great project of Party building.

Comrade Jiang Zemin was a man of vision and could accurately assess the situation. He consistently observed and contemplated issues from the perspective of China's and the world's development trends and the overall work of the Party and the state, tirelessly promoting theoretical and other forms of innovation. With firm convictions and decisive action, he always placed the Party and the people above all else, unwaveringly adhering to the ideals and beliefs of a Communist, and demonstrated extraordinary resolve in making bold decisions at critical moments and great courage in advancing theoretical innovation. Respecting practice and keeping pace with the times, he always grasped the pulse and opportunities of the era, drew lessons from the dynamic practices of the Party and the people to chart the course forward, and advanced the work of the Party and the state in a pragmatic yet pioneering manner. He respected and cared for the masses, always prioritizing their safety and well-being, and used the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people as the benchmark to test and propel his work. The outstanding character and noble demeanor of Comrade Jiang Zemin will forever educate and inspire us to move forward.

The passing of Comrade Jiang Zemin is an immeasurable loss to our Party, our military, and people of all ethnic groups across the country. The Party Central Committee calls on the entire Party, the entire military, and people of all ethnic groups nationwide to transform grief into strength, carry forward Comrade Jiang Zemin's legacy, and express our mourning through concrete actions.

We must more consciously rally around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, adhere to the Party's basic theory, line, and policy, deeply comprehend the decisive significance of the "Two Establishments," strengthen the "Four Consciousnesses," uphold the "Four Confidences," and achieve the "Two Upholds." We must persistently advance full and rigorous Party governance, deepen the great new project of Party building in the new era, and use the Party's self-reform to guide social transformation, ensuring our Party remains true to its original aspirations and mission and always serves as the strong leading core of the socialist cause with Chinese characteristics.

We must steadfastly uphold Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development, fully implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, adhere to combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific realities and fine traditional culture, persist in emancipating the mind, seeking truth from facts, advancing with the times, and being pragmatic, boldly engage in theoretical exploration and innovation, continuously open up new realms for adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of our times in the great practice of the new era, and let contemporary Chinese Marxism radiate even more brilliant truth.

We must unswervingly uphold the leadership of the Communist Party of China and socialism with Chinese characteristics, adhere to basing the development of the nation and the people on our own strength and firmly keeping the destiny of China's development and progress in our own hands, unite as one to strive for the complete building of a modern socialist country and the realization of the Second Centenary Goal, advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, and create a new form of human civilization.

We must adhere to the fundamental principle of serving the people wholeheartedly, foster a strong sense of commitment to the people, implement the mass line, respect the people's creativity, and persist in doing everything for the people and relying on them in everything we do. We must come from and go among the people, maintain close ties with them, and always share their breath, fate, and heart.

We must diligently study the important thought of Three Represents, learn from Comrade Jiang Zemin's revolutionary spirit and exemplary conduct, and emulate his scientific approach and creative spirit in applying Marxist standpoints, viewpoints, and methods to study new situations and solve new problems. Together, we will strive tirelessly to build China into a prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful modern socialist country.

The great cause of rejuvenating the Chinese nation embodies the dedication and hard work of generations of Communists, including Comrade Jiang Zemin. On the path ahead, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the entire Party, the military, and people of all ethnic groups across the country must hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, fully implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, carry forward the great founding spirit of the Party, strengthen confidence, stand united, work hard with one heart, and forge ahead courageously to strive in unity for building a modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts.

Comrade Jiang Zemin will be immortal!