Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, an outspoken reformer who played a pivotal role in overhauling the nation’s economic landscape throughout the 1990s and securing its landmark entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO), has passed away at the age of 97, according to state media reports on Wednesday.
Xinhua reported that Zhu died in Beijing at approximately 11 a.m..
Serving as premier from 1998 to 2003 under President Jiang Zemin, Zhu spearheaded aggressive overhauls of state-owned enterprises, pressing forward despite stiff pushback from Communist Party conservatives and leaders of state industries. While his policies triggered millions of workforce layoffs, they ultimately streamlined Chinese firms, boosted efficiency, and fueled the country’s rapid economic rise.
Zhu was likewise a key architect of China’s accession to the WTO in December 2001, an milestone that solidified the country’s footprint in global commerce and paved the way for its ascension as the world’s leading exporter.
Renowned for his unyielding personality and fierce crackdowns on government corruption, Zhu acquired nicknames like “Boss” and “Madman Zhu”. In 1998, he delivered a memorable warning:
“I have prepared 100 coffins here — 99 for corrupt officials and one for myself.”
Prior to assuming the premiership, Zhu gained national prominence by reining in runaway inflation and forcing unprofitable state enterprises to restructure. He was also instrumental in implementing reforms that remade state-owned banks, airlines, energy conglomerates, and other major enterprises into profit-driven corporations while preserving government ownership.
Born on October 23, 1928, in Hunan province, Zhu saw his early political career derailed for 22 years after he was denounced as a “rightist” in 1957 for expressing support for reforms in Hungary and Yugoslavia. Following his political rehabilitation in 1979, he steadily climbed Shanghai’s political ranks before taking on the role of deputy premier in 1991 and entering the top echelon of Communist Party leadership in 1993.
Unlike many of his peers, Zhu stood out for his willingness to candidly address state failings. In the wake of disastrous flooding in 1998, he criticized faulty flood defenses, remarking that some were “no stronger than bean curd”.
Later, in 2001, he issued a rare public apology after a school explosion claimed the lives of at least 42 people, the majority of whom were children.
Following his departure from office in 2003, Zhu largely retreated from public life. He was married to Lao An and had two children, including former China International Capital Corporation CEO Levin Zhu.