China's paramount leader Deng Xiaoping died last night of complications from Parkinson's disease and a lung infection, Xinhua (the New China News Agency) said at 2.41 am today.
The announcement of Deng's death was made in a letter to the Communist Party, the People's Liberation Army and the people of various ethnic groups throughout China, it said.
Deng died at 9.08 pm at the age of 92, Xinhua said. He is survived by his wife, Zhuo Lin, as well as two sons, Pufang and Zhifang, and three daughters, Nan, Lin and Rong.
He was born Deng Xiansheng into a landlord family in Sichuan province on August 22, 1904. He took the name Xiaoping in 1927.
The party and Government 'proclaim with profound grief to the whole party, the whole Army and the people of all ethnic groups throughout the country that our beloved Comrade Deng Xiaoping who had suffered the advanced stage of Parkinson's disease with complications of lung infections, passed away because of the failure of the respiration circulating functions after failing respond to emergency treatment', the Xinhua announcement said.
News of Deng's death was first reported last night by the Hong Kong-based Chinese Television Network which said the senior leader died in Zhongnanhai, the main compound used by high-level Communist Party leaders in Beijing.