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

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.