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Long live the toad: Jiang Zemin in China’s pop culture

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Published: December 1st, 2022,
Last updated: May 28th, 2025

Jiang Zemin enjoys cult status among China’s youth. Partly because of this English phrase.
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In China’s social media world, Jiang Zemin has gained cult status in recent years. Thousands of stickers, GIFs, and memes featuring the former head of state circulate on WeChat and other channels: Jiang yawning, grinning mischievously, playing the flute like a pied piper, or detonating a nuclear bomb with a mere point of his finger. Even the most ridiculous ones are not censored, on the contrary. In China, Jiang Zemin is an important part of pop culture.

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Society Jiang Zemin