Online wishes pour in as former Chinese president Jiang Zemin turns 95
- Absence of official celebrations fails to dampen fervour among online fans of elder statesman
- Jiang was last seen in public during National Day celebrations in Beijing last year
“One more second” for the “elder”, called Chinese netizens, as they found creative ways to wish Jiang Zemin good health and a long life on his 95th birthday.
The former president of China turned 95 on Tuesday, but there was no official celebration, as Jiang had stepped down 18 years ago and there is no tradition among Chinese leaders to publicly mark their birthday. But internet users had not forgotten the special date.
Some posted messages with the sign “+1s”, a popular online meme meaning “one more second”, as a wish for longevity.
“I had thought that ‘the elder’ was not being polite [in making the comment],” one netizen wrote. “Now I understand it better and it was me who was naive. He is 95 today.”
Jiang was last seen in public last October during National Day celebrations in Beijing but he did not attend the Communist Party centenary in July. Also absent on July 1 was former premier Zhu Rongji, who is 92.