Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji dies at 98, state media announce
朱镕基同志逝世
Zhu Rongji, China's premier from 1998 to 2003, died in Beijing on August 12, 2026, at age 98, according to an official obituary issued jointly by the Communist Party Central Committee, the National People's Congress Standing Committee, the State Council, and the CPPCC National Committee. The obituary, carried by Xinhua and republished by Sina, describes him as an 'outstanding member of the Communist Party' and a 'tested and loyal communist fighter.' It credits him with steering the economy through the Asian financial crisis, implementing sweeping fiscal and financial reforms, and completing negotiations for China's entry into the WTO.
The view from inside
The obituary frames Zhu's career as inseparable from the Party's narrative of reform and opening-up under successive leadership cores.
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