BEIJING, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao and his predecessor Jiang Zemin have sent condolences over the death of Tang Aoqing, a senior member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the founder of China's modern theoretical chemistry.

    Other leaders who have mourned Tang's death included Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, He Guoqiang, and Zhou Yongkang.

    Tang died of illness on July 15, at the age of 93.

    In 1915, Tang was born in Yixing, Jiangsu Province, east China. Between 1946-49, he studied as a postgraduate at the Chemical Institute of Columbia University in the United States. In January 1950, he returned to China. He joined the China Democratic League (CDL) in 1951 and the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 1958.

    Early or later, Tang worked as professor at Peking University and the Northeast People's University, president of Jilin University, director of National Natural Science Foundation of China.

    Tang was a delegate to the 10th, 11th and 12th CPC National Congresses, the 2nd and 3rd National People's Congresses, and the 6th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). He was a member of the Standing Committee of the 7th and 8th CPPCC National Committees.