In his 61-page speech, Mr Jiang mentioned Deng Xiaoping's name 55 times in an effort to establish his credentials as the standard-bearer of Deng Xiaoping Thought.
A fifth of the speech was devoted to defining the historical status and guiding significance of Deng Xiaoping Theory. Mr Jiang said it was the Marxism of present-day China and a new, scientific theory.
For the first time, the President also said Deng's speeches during his 1992 southern tour constituted another declaration which had showed 'the spirit of emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts'.
Mr Jiang also declared Deng Xiaoping Theory would continue to be the guiding light because it dealt with the essence of socialism.
It even helped explain the rise and fall of other socialist countries, he said.
Mr Jiang said Marxism changed with the times. 'We should get nowhere if we studied Marxism statically and in isolation, and separated it from its vigorous development in actual life or set them against each other,' he said.