BEIJING, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) — Comrade Jiang Zemin’s body was transferred to Beijing from Shanghai on a special flight on Thursday afternoon.

Xi Jinping and other Party and Chinese leaders State, including Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Han Zheng, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Wang Qishan, received Jiang’s remains at Xijiao Airport in Beijing and offered deep condolences to Jiang’s relatives. Cai Qi, some staff from Comrade Jiang Zemin’s Funeral Committee Office and Jiang’s relatives escorted his body from Shanghai to Beijing. The national flag was lowered at Xijiao Airport. Adding to the solemn atmosphere, there were black banners with white characters that read “Eternal Glory to Comrade Jiang Zemin!” and “Comrade Jiang Zemin still lives in our hearts.” Xi, his wife Peng Liyuan and others, wearing black armbands and white flowers pinned to their chests, solemnly stood on the tarmac. The special flight landed at 3:55 p.m. Twelve honor guards escorted and carried the coffin off the plane.Xi and others bowed three times to Jiang’s body and watched the coffin being carried on a hearse. At noon, a farewell ceremony was held at Huadong Hospital in Shanghai. Staff members from Comrade Jiang Zemin’s Funeral Committee Office, Shanghai officials, Jiang Zemin’s relatives and friends, and medical personnel paid their respects at the ceremony. As the hearse made its journey from the hospital to Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, Shanghai residents lined the streets to pay their respects to Jiang.Jiang died in Shanghai on November 30. He was 96 years old.Jiang was hailed as an outstanding leader enjoying high prestige recognized by the entire Party, the entire army and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups. Jiang was a great Marxist, a great proletarian revolutionary, a statesman, a military strategist and a diplomat, a long-proven communist fighter and an outstanding leader of the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. He was the nucleus of the third generation of central collective leaders of the Chinese Communist Party and the main founder of the theory of three representations.