Jiang Zemin Dead at 96

The Western press has more detailed obituaries for Jiang, who led China during the most important phase of its rise in the 1990s. Making the leap from a rising power to a potential global hegemon during a period when the United States was at the apex of its power, Jiang integrated China into the American system while simultaneously laying the foundation to displace it as the premier economic power. He came to power with China an outcast following the Tiananmen crackdown and left with China in the WTO, rapidly gutting what was left of the West's industrial advantage.

AP has a long biography: Former President Jiang Zemin, who guided China’s rise, dies

Chinese coverage is remarkably terse.

China Daily: Jiang Zemin passes away

The letter says that Comrade Jiang Zemin was an outstanding leader enjoying high prestige acknowledged by the whole Party, the entire military and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, 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. He was the core of the CPC's third generation of central collective leadership and the principal founder of the Theory of Three Represents.

My take: this is probably a non-event for China because Jiang wasn't heavily involved in current politics. He also isn't a beloved figure among the people. The June 1989 protests were sparked by the death of Hu Yaobang in April because he was a popular figure for people who wanted China to open up politically. Given the current state of affairs, disgruntled citizens or CCP insiders could his death as a vehicle for criticizing the state.

I still don't think these protests have legs. I'm not basing that on superior on the ground knowledge, but the fact that I've seen this show play out before and it always ends the same way. Jiang's death adds a new variable that could fuel something larger, but that something hasn't happened yet.