China's former president Jiang Zemin dies aged 96

Jiang Zemin, China's former president, died on Wednesday at the age of 96, Chinese state media reported.

He died from leukemia and multiple organ failure in Shanghai, the official Xinhua news agency said.

A letter published on behalf of the ruling Communist Party, said: "Comrade Jiang Zemin's death is an incalculable loss to our Party and our military and our people of all ethnic groups.

"Comrade Jiang Zemin was an outstanding leader... a great Marxist, a great proletarian revolutionary, statesman, military strategist and diplomat, a long-tested communist fighter, and an outstanding leader of the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics."

Jiang steered the country through a transformational era from the late 1980s and into the new millennium.

He took power in the aftermath of the Tiananmen Square crackdown and led the world's most populous nation towards its emergence as a powerhouse on the global stage.

When Jiang replaced Deng Xiaoping as leader in 1989, China was still in the early stages of economic modernisation.

By the time he retired as president in 2003, China was a member of the World Trade Organisation, Beijing had secured the 2008 Olympics, and the country was well on its way to superpower status.

Analysts say Jiang and his "Shanghai Gang" faction continued to exert influence over communist politics long after he left the top job.

He is survived by his wife, Wang Yeping, and two sons.