China's top legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC),
accepted Jiang Zemin's request to resign from his remaining post as
chairman of the Central Military Commission of the People's
Republic of China in Beijing on Tuesday.
Approximately 3,000 NPC deputies adopted a resolution to accept
Jiang's request of resignation through vote, marking the complete
retirement of Jiang, 78, who held the position for 15 years since
1990.
Jiang submitted his letter of resignation to the presidium of the
current NPC
annual session Friday. The presidium on Monday adopted a draft
resolution to accept his request and decided to submit it to
Tuesday's plenum for vote.
Prior to the vote, NPC deputies had deliberated Jiang's letter
requesting resignation and the draft resolution on accepting the
request in panel discussions.
Jiang became general secretary of the Central Committee of the
Communist Party of China (CPC) in 1989 and chairman of the Central
Military Commission of the CPC in the same year. He became chairman
of the state Central Military Commission in 1990.
China establishes a chairmanship of the state Central Military
Commission, according to its Constitution. Late senior Chinese
leader Deng Xiaoping was the first chairman of the state Central
Military Commission before being succeeded by Jiang Zemin.
Deng and Jiang were both chairman of the CPC Central Military
Commission and state Central Military Commission since the position
was established in 1982.
Jiang no longer served as general secretary of the CPC Central
Committee in 2002 and president of China in 2003. He resigned from
the top military post last September and was succeeded by Hu
Jintao, who in 2002 was elected general secretary of the CPC
Central Committee and in 2003, president of China.
In his letter requesting resignation last September, Jiang saidhe
"had always looked forward to the complete retirement from leading
positions." He proposed Hu Jintao succeed him, which was ratified
by the CPC Central Committee.
The CPC Central Committee said in a communique last year that in
the 15 years as he served as chairman of the CPC Central Military
Commission, Jiang "grasped the development trends of new military
reforms in the world with his great insight" and had enriched the
army building ideas.
"Under his leadership, national defense and army modernization
process had achieved tremendous success," said the communique.
(Xinhua News Agency March 8, 2005)
