Former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin dies aged 96

China's former leader Jiang Zemin, who came to power after the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, has died aged 96.

One of the major figures of Chinese history in recent decades, he presided over a time where China opened up on a vast scale and saw high-speed growth.

A Chinese Communist Party statement said he died of leukaemia and multiple organ failure.

It added that he was recognised "as an outstanding leader with high prestige" and "a long-tested Communist fighter".