Xi invokes Jiang Zemin legacy, warns of storms ahead
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- Xi Jinping invoked Jiang Zemin's legacy at the Aug 17 centenary of Jiang's birth, praising the former leader for balancing economic growth with Communist Party control and warning of 'high winds and rough waters and even dangerous storms.'
- Xi credited Jiang with preserving stability after the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown—referred to as 'severe political disturbance'—and highlighted the Theory of Three Represents, which integrated private entrepreneurs into the party.
- Xi called on cadres to uphold the 'two upholds,' party shorthand cementing his own position at the core of China's political system, echoing themes from his 2022 eulogy for Jiang.
- China's Q2 economic growth slowed to 4.3%, below the government's annual target, with weak domestic demand leaving the economy increasingly reliant on exports and industrial production.
- The speech—Xi's first public appearance in at least two weeks, following the annual Beidaihe summer break—came days after the death of former Premier Zhu Rongji, who worked alongside Jiang on China's WTO accession.
- Xi named his four signature global initiatives on development, security, and diplomacy ahead of an expected September meeting with US President Donald Trump, with trade, technology, and Taiwan straining relations.
- Premier Li Qiang, Politburo Standing Committee members Wang Huning and Cai Qi, former premier Wen Jiabao, and former vice-president Wang Qishan attended the ceremony.
Why it matters: Xi is weaponizing Jiang's legacy to legitimize tightened party control at home while signaling resolve abroad ahead of a likely September Trump summit. With Q2 growth at 4.3%—below Beijing's annual target—and exports propping up a weak domestic economy, Xi pairs economic vulnerability with an ideological foreign-policy posture that frames external pressure from Washington, the Philippines, and Japan as validation of party-led governance.
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