China's ex-leader Jiang Zemin, an influential reformer, has died at 96

Chinese President Jiang Zemin sings a selection from "Beijing Opera" on the last day of an eight-day visit to the U.S. on Nov. 2, 1997, in Los Angeles. (Hector Mata/AFP via Getty Images)

Former Chinese leader and general secretary of the country's ruling Communist Party Jiang Zemin died at the age of 96, state news agency Xinhua announced Wednesday. The cause of death was leukemia and multiple organ failure.

Jiang was a divisive and colorful figure at the forefront of political life for 15 years. Even after retirement, analysts say, he exercised influence — and in his last years, served as a counterweight to China's current leader, Xi Jinping.