Jiang Zemin, the former Chinese leader who rose to power in China in the wake of the Tiananmen Square protests, died in Shanghai on Wednesday, state media reports. He was 96. A statement from the Chinese Communist Party said Zemin died from leukemia and multiple organ failure, adding that he is remembered as an “outstanding leader with high prestige” and a “long-tested communist fighter.” Zemin was chosen as a compromise leader of China when the country was plunged into turmoil in the aftermath of a deadly crackdown on student-led protests in Beijing’s Tiananman Square in 1989. His death comes as China’s ruling party is facing its strongest opposition since Tiananman as angry protests have erupted around the country in opposition to harsh COVID control measures.