THINNER, BALDER and looking fairly tired, the 85-year-old former supreme leader of China, Jiang Zemin, is most certainly not dead, as pictures of him making a rare public appearance talking to China’s president Hu Jintao, released yesterday, show.
The Chinese leader, who is credited with bringing China into the global arena over his 12 years in power, may be retired, and his influence is most assuredly on the wane, but it was very recognisably Mr Jiang, in his trademark dark blue suit and red tie and big, black square-rimmed glasses.
Mr Jiang appeared at an official event in Beijing commemorating the centennial anniversary of the 1911 revolution that overthrew imperial rule on the mainland.
He listened to speeches, his hair slicked back and smiling, looking tired and older, but most definitely not dead.
China does not release information about whether its former leaders are alive or dead, but speculation was rife during the summer that Mr Jiang had died. The story doing the rounds was that the family had wanted the life-support machine turned off, but the party machine demanded otherwise.
Mr Jiang was photographed on stage with other former and current top Chinese leaders in the Great Hall of the People at an event commemorating the centennial of the 1911 revolution that overthrew imperial rule on the mainland.
While Mr Jiang is no longer a figure of importance politically, he has a residual influence because he was crucial in implementing economic reforms launched by Deng Xiaoping.
He was also famous for the way he cultivated always-tense relations with the United States.
Mr Jiang did not show up for a celebration of the 90th anniversary of the ruling Communist Party, which prompted the speculation that he was dead. The media in the mainland did not report the story, but it was widely reported in Hong Kong.
Leadership issues are high on the agenda in China at the moment because next year’s Communist Party congress is expected to confirm a transition in China’s leadership to current party grandee and expected successor, Xi Jinping.