This article discusses China's processes and efforts to restore the economy during the presidential term of Jiang Zemin (1989-2002) until the "Three Representatives" (Sange Daibiao - -HL^M^^t) theory was formulated. After the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, the continuation of China's economic reform was threatened due to the heightened pressure from the conservative faction that opposed the Gaige Kaifang program. The situation caused China's economic reforms to be stagnant, and the country's economy sharply declined. The international embargoes and condemnation further worsened the economic condition of China. Jiang Zemin's efforts to regain the trust of foreign investors by building the private sector and internationalizing China's trade then succeeded in bringing a big leap in the economy of China. These efforts later inspired the formulation of the "Three Representatives" theory. This article applies historical methods to analyze and interpret Jiang Zemin's efforts to improve China's economy in the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests until the formulation of the "Three Representatives" theory in 2002. © 2021 Institute of China and Asia-Pacific Studies - National Sun Yat-sen University. All rights reserved.