Jiang Zemin... dead?

I saw a news article that said Jiang Zemin (former Chinese president) did not attend the 90th anniversary celebration on July 1st, which coincidentally is also Canada day. Sindy later told me that there was a stent surgery scheduled at PLA 301 hospital for a VVIP on July 4th, and security was super tight. She delivered the required stents to the hospital a few days earlier but was not allowed anywhere near the OR. I joked that it was probably Jiang Zemin.

Now rumors are flying like crazy that he is either dead or really sick. As usual, the CCP made no comment and censored the Internet for a few days and now appears to deny the rumors.

VOANews

Chinese authorities are officially denying that Jiang Zemin is dead after days of speculation about the health of the former president.

Reports that Jiang,84, had died began spreading across the Internet following his failure to appear at ceremonies Friday marking the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China.

After a day of trying to censor the story on the Internet, officials formally denied the reports Thursday. Citing "authoritative sources," the official Xinhua news agency said reports of Jiang's death "are pure rumor."

...

China's foreign ministry refused to comment on the rumors Wednesday. However, Reuters news agency on Thursday quoted three sources with ties to China's leadership saying that Jiang suffered a heart attack and is in intensive care at a military hospital in Beijing.

China has long guarded information on the health of the nation's top leaders as a state secret.

Why does it even matter if he's dead or not? I guess it's a kneejerk reaction to block and censor anytime something different happens in China.

BTW, Sindy said she had to deliver the stent a few days early because the hospital/doctor wanted to re-sterilize the stent. WTF?