China Says Goodbye to a Leader Who Changed Its Economy
Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji was cremated in Beijing on August 18, 2026, after a farewell ceremony in the capital. Flags flew at half-mast across the country and security was tightened in major cities as China mourned one of its most important economic leaders. (Reuters; Hong Kong Free Press)
Zhu died in Beijing on August 12, 2026, at 11:06, from illness despite medical treatment. He was 98. (12371.gov.cn) Four top government bodies jointly issued his official obituary: the CPC Central Committee, the National People's Congress Standing Committee, the State Council, and the CPPCC National Committee. This is the standard way China mourns a senior leader of Zhu's rank. (Hubei United Front Work Department)
Born in October 1928 in Changsha, Hunan, Zhu began revolutionary work in December 1948 and joined the Communist Party of China in October 1949, months after the founding of the People's Republic. (12371.gov.cn) His early entry placed him among the last group of senior leaders whose careers spanned both China's civil war and the early years of the People's Republic.
Flags flew at half-mast at Tiananmen Square and at Chinese government buildings and embassies worldwide. (Reuters) Security was tightened in Beijing and other major cities. The farewell gathering took place before the cremation, following the standard procedure for former premiers and top Party leaders.
Zhu served as premier — China's head of government, roughly equivalent to a prime minister — from 1998 to 2003. During that time, he pushed hard to reform state-owned enterprises. These are companies owned and run by the government, and many were inefficient and losing money. Think of it like a company trimming dead weight to stay competitive. Zhu's reforms forced many of these companies to shut down, merge, or restructure. He also restructured the financial sector and prepared China's entry into the World Trade Organization, the global body that sets rules for international trade. His reforms were praised for speeding up China's integration into the global economy and modernizing its industries. But the same reforms drew criticism because they caused mass layoffs in the state sector, displacing tens of millions of workers. (Reuters)
That dual legacy — modernization alongside deep job losses — was reflected in the coverage of his funeral. The official obituary framed Zhu's work as part of China's broader story of reform and opening up, while the mourning rituals followed the standard protocol for a leader of his standing.
The broader context is generational. Zhu was part of the reformist group led by Jiang Zemin, the generation that guided China through the 1990s and early 2000s. His death at 98, following the passing of other leaders from that generation, continues a slow generational shift that has been removing the architects of China's post-1990s economic rise from the political stage. The ceremony, held with full state honors, signals the Party's commitment to framing that era as one of decisive, if costly, modernization.
