This week, China's former president, Jiang Zemin, died.

Fullma Chinese president, Jiang Zemin, has died at the age of 96.

He's seen as one of the architects of China's transformation into a market economy.

According to state media, he died of leukemia and multiple organ failure.

Jiang came to power in the aftermath of the Tiananmen Square protests.

And during his tenure, he presided over key milestones in modern Chinese history,

like the return of Hong Kong to Chinese rule in 1997.

Now Hong Kong people are to run Hong Kong.

That is the promise and that is the unshakable destiny.

China's entry into the world trade organization in 2001.

By adding China to the WTO, we strengthen the organization by further integrating China's

1.2 billion people and 1 trillion dollar economy into the world market network.

And winning the bid to host the 2008 Summer Olympics.

I now have the honor of asking the president of the People's Republic of China to open

the games of the 29th Olympiad of the modern era.

During Jiang's rule, China moved from an isolated poor country into a global economic superpower.

China was a more open and liberal place when he was there.

He presided over a period of tremendous economic change and social tumult.

And in that, there was a great push by Chinese society for a more open and pluralistic political

system.

Jiang helped lead China's integration into the global economy.

And so that economic behemoth that we now think that China is really was a creation of

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