NNA - Jiang Zemin led China through an era of stunning transformation after coming to power in the traumatic aftermath of the Tiananmen Square crackdown.

He died Wednesday at the age of 96, state news agency Xinhua reported.

Jiang rose from a factory engineer to leader of the world's most populous country, steering China towards its emergence as the global trade, military, and political power that it is today. -- AFP

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