A report on October 24 from the Epoch News Agency claims recent, widespread rumors among the top leaders in Beijing that China's President Jiang Zemin has suddenly caught a strange disease, and that his leg would need to be amputated at the upper thigh. News correspondents at the Epoch News Agency in Beijing verified that the news came from reliable sources.
According to the source near Zhongnanhai (China Central Government Compound in Beijing), Jiang Zemin suddenly caught a strange disease over a week ago. The capillaries of the lower part of his right leg were blocked, and the nerves became necrotic. The state of his disease is rapidly worsening. Last weekend, it spread to his knee. After the concerted diagnosis of doctors in No. 301 Hospital, he was advised to have an immediate amputation to keep the disease under control.
The source of the news claimed that this disease is unprecedented in medicine. The cause of the disease is difficult to trace; doctors can only generally call it "necrosis." Doctors worried that the continuous worsening of the disease would endanger his life should he not receive an amputation. However, Jiang Zemin refused to accept this fact, and refused to have an operation.
There was news Tuesday that the Political Bureau of the Communist Party, having learned that the "necrosis" has spread to his knee, could request "in the name of the government organization" that Jiang Zemin have an operation. Jiang Zemin's scheduled visit to North Korea has been repeatedly postponed. This proves that the news of Jiang Zemin catching a fatal disease has validity.
Jiang Zemin's recent "necrosis" has stirred up the political situation in Beijing. The existing power structure may be changing.
The year 2000 could be Jiang Zemin's year of doom. Since the period of time before China's National Day (October 1), anti-Jiang Zemin sentiments have begun to escalate from within the Central Government to local governments. It is noticeably reflected in the criticism of Jiang Zemin's new political initiatives. In terms of the media, this attitude is reflected in two aspects: One is that the National Day Editorial of the People's Daily has changed its past excessive flattery to now only matter-of-factly mentioning Jiang Zemin's new political initiatives. It seems they are now only trying to keep him from losing respect. The other aspect is that Premier Zhu Rongji did not mention a word of the Jiang's political initiatives at the National Day Reception. It seems that "the core of Jiang's power" can no longer deceive the public. It appears he may be losing control of the general situation.
Furthermore, from October 9 to 11, at the 5th Plenary Session of the 15th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Jiang Zemin's personnel arrangement was greatly disputed. His nominations of Zeng Qinghong as a member of the Political Bureau, and Chen Zhili as Secretary of Secretariat were vetoed. This is really the first time since the founding of the People's Republic of China that the highest level of the government leadership has frustratingly met with such opposition.
Jiang Zemin connived with and harbored his corrupt subordinates, and eliminated those who were against him in the name of cracking down on corruption. He insisted his own way on the Falun Gong issue, thus intensifying social conflicts and stirring up powerful reactions concerning many issues. At this very moment, it is reported that Jiang Zemin has contracted "necrosis." It is really the beginning of the total end of Jiang Zemin's political life.
Reported on October 25, 2000
