President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, will attend and address a grand meeting commemorating the centenary of the birth of late Chinese leader Jiang Zemin on Monday (Aug 17).
The event will be held in the morning at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, which will also be broadcast live and relayed simultaneously on websites of Chinese media organizations.
A 12-episode documentary series was produced and aired on China Central Television recently to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Jiang's birth. The latest episode, titled “The Vast Land of China,” focuses on how Jiang undertook the mission of ensuring Hong Kong's smooth return to China.
Facing pressure from then-British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Jiang emphasized that the people of China would never succumb to any extraneous pressure or influence.
The documentary mentions that some had suggested spending up to billions of pounds to extend the lease of Hong Kong after 1997. However, Jiang firmly stated that he would not sell out Hong Kong and would never become a second Li Hongzhang — a statesman of the Qing dynasty who was described by some as a notorious traitor for signing a number of harsh treaties that gave away Chinese land or money after losing wars against foreign powers.
The documentary also mentions Jiang's meeting with Tung Chee-hwa at Zhongnanhai in Beijing, where he stated that Tung was the first Chinese to serve as Chief Executive of Hong Kong in over a century, describing it as a true embodiment of "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong and a high degree of autonomy," signifying that Hong Kong was about to enter a new era.
Separately, a set of commemorative stamps celebrating the centenary of Jiang's birth will be issued in China by the State Post Bureau.
China's central bank will issue four commemorative coins. The coins comprise one ordinary commemorative coin, two gold coins and one silver coin, all of which are legal tender in China.
A set of commemorative stamps.
