China is set to hold a large-scale commemorative gathering and broadcast a documentary detailing the life of the late former President Jiang Zemin, marking the 100th anniversary of his birth.

According to media outlets such as Hong Kong's Ming Pao and Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao on the 12th, Chinese authorities are scheduled to host a commemorative conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on the 17th, which marks the centennial of Jiang's birth.

President Xi Jinping is expected to deliver a speech at the event, which will be attended by thousands of figures from various sectors.

Jiang will be the seventh former top leader in China to be honored with a large-scale commemorative conference for their 100th birth anniversary, following Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Liu Shaoqi, Zhu De, Deng Xiaoping, and Chen Yun.

Chinese state media have also begun hyping the atmosphere by spotlighting Jiang's life and achievements.

China Central Television (CCTV) broadcast the first and second episodes of the documentary series "Jiang Zemin," which covers his life, back-to-back yesterday afternoon.

The broadcast introduced Jiang's journey of joining the Chinese Communist Party during his student days and his career working in Wuhan, Beijing, and Shanghai following the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

The documentary, consisting of a total of 12 episodes, will air two episodes daily through the 16th.

A seminar themed around Jiang's life and thought will also be held.

Cai Qi, the fifth-ranking member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, is scheduled to attend and deliver a speech at the seminar.

Stamps commemorating the 100th birth anniversary of Jiang are also reportedly set to be issued.

Last month, Chinese authorities designated Jiang's former residence in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, his hometown, as a pilot base for patriotic education.

Born on August 17, 1926, Jiang rose to become the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and chairman of the Central Military Commission in 1989.

He stepped down as party general secretary in 2002 and relinquished his position as chairman of the Central Military Commission in 2004.

He passed away in Shanghai on November 30, 2022, at the age of 96.

Analysts suggest that China's massive commemoration of Jiang's centennial is intended to evaluate his historical contributions while simultaneously emphasizing the authority of the current leadership and solidifying unity within the party.

Kou Chien-wen, a professor in the Department of Political Science and the Institute of International Relations at National Chengchi University in Taiwan, told Lianhe Zaobao, "Given that the protocol for Jiang's funeral was similar to that at the time of Deng Xiaoping's death, this year's commemorative events will likely be on a scale comparable to the centennial of Deng Xiaoping's birth in 2004."

Mentioning the recent consecutive downfalls of high-ranking officials and military generals in China, he analyzed, "Commemorating Jiang at a high level at this juncture demonstrates the need to inherit history while highlighting the ruling ideology of the current leadership, which can play a role in stabilizing internal party sentiment to a certain extent."

(Photo: Screen capture from China Central Television (CCTV), Yonhap News)