ABSTRACT
In the autumn of 1999, as much of the world was gearing up for grand celebrations to mark the end of the century and the millennium, in China the party was over. It had been held on October 1, in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic. On that date, and following the example of Mao Zedong exactly fifty years earlier, Chinese Communist Party (CCP) general secretary Jiang Zemin stood in front of the Gate of Heavenly Peace in Tiananmen Square to deliver the national address. On this historic occasion, Jiang reveled in all the traditional symbols of power and authority, even donning a Mao-style tunic as he and other leaders presided over the spectacular military parade down Chang'an Avenue.
