Some say it closes the chapter on his era, others see it as ex-leader's bid to reassert political influence
The Selected Works of Jiang Zemin, which hit bookshelves yesterday, highlights the political, economic and diplomatic accomplishments of the man who oversaw China's rise from political pariah in 1989 to one of the world's largest economies and leading political powers.
Its publication comes after months of speculation the former leader may be trying to regain at least a modicum of political influence in the run-up to the 17th Communist Party Congress, in the hope of influencing leadership changes and safeguarding his legacy.
But Andrew Yang, secretary-general of the Chinese Council of Advanced Political Studies in Taipei, said he saw no sign Mr Jiang was attempting to return to the political fray.
'I don't think Jiang Zemin can exercise any influence after stepping down,' he said. Any such attempt would be a violation of the Communist Party's political processes, he said.
'The publication of the books is just a symbolic recognition of Jiang's accomplishments in the past. It's a sort of a closing of the chapter on the Jiang era,' said Mr Yang.
The three-volume set includes 203 reports, speeches, articles, letters, inscriptions and decrees issued by Mr Jiang, who sat at the pinnacle of China's leadership for 13 years until he handed the presidency to Hu Jintao in 2003, and leadership of the military a year later. He turns 80 on Thursday.