KATHMANDU, Nov 30: Former Chinese President Jiang Zemin died on Wednesday at the age of 96, according to Chinese state media. Late President Jiang was suffering from leukaemia and multiple organ failure.

According to the Xinhua news agency, Jiang died at 12:13 p.m. (0413 GMT) in his home city of Shanghai. The ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) has already announced the death.

"Comrade Jiang Zemin's death is an incalculable loss to our Party and our military and our people of all ethnic groups," the letter read, saying the announcement was made with "profound grief".

It described "our beloved Comrade Jiang Zemin" as an outstanding leader of high prestige, a great Marxist, statesman, military strategist and diplomat and a long-tested communist fighter.

Reuters report said Jiang was plucked from obscurity to head China's ruling Communist Party after the bloody Tiananmen crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 1989, but broke the country out of its subsequent diplomatic isolation, mending fences with the United States and overseeing an unprecedented economic boom.

 
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