China Bids Farewell to Former Premier Zhu Rongji

The body of former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji was cremated Tuesday at the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery in Beijing, with President Xi Jinping and the full Politburo Standing Committee attending the farewell ceremony. Zhu, who served as China’s premier from 1998 to 2003 and was widely regarded as the architect of the country’s modern economic transformation, died of illness on August 12 at age 98.

According to Xinhua, Xi Jinping, along with Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Vice President Han Zheng, stood in silent tribute before Zhu’s body and made three bows. Former President Hu Jintao sent a wreath to express his condolences but did not attend in person. The ceremony was held at 9:30 AM in the Babaoshan cemetery hall, where a black-and-white banner reading “Deeply Mourning Comrade Zhu Rongji” hung above his portrait, and his body was draped with the red flag of the Communist Party of China.

A Nation in Mourning

Flags were lowered to half-mast across the country on Tuesday, including at Tiananmen Square, the Great Hall of the People, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, provincial government buildings, the Hong Kong and Macao SARs, border crossings, ports, and Chinese embassies abroad, as reported by RFI. The honor is typically reserved for former top leaders, following similar tributes for former Premier Li Peng in 2019 and former President Jiang Zemin in 2022.

The official obituary, jointly issued by the CPC Central Committee, the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, the State Council, and the CPPCC National Committee, described Zhu as “an excellent Party member, a time-tested and loyal communist fighter, and an outstanding proletarian revolutionist, statesman and leader of the Party and the state,” according to Xinhua’s obituary. The obituary noted that his life was “a life of revolution, a life of struggle, a glorious life, a life of serving the people wholeheartedly and dedicating himself to the cause of communism.”

The ‘Economic Czar’ and His Legacy

Zhu Rongji’s career spanned more than five decades, from his early days at Tsinghua University to his rise as one of the most consequential economic figures in modern Chinese history. Born on October 23, 1928, in Changsha, Hunan Province, he studied electrical engineering at Tsinghua University before joining the Communist Party in 1949.

His path was not without setbacks. During the Anti-Rightist Campaign of 1957-58, Zhu was labeled a rightist for making critical remarks, expelled from the Party, and demoted. He spent the Cultural Revolution years at a May 7th cadre school before being rehabilitated in 1978, as detailed in BBC Chinese’s obituary.

Zhu rose to prominence as Mayor of Shanghai from 1988, where he championed the development of the Pudong New Area and pioneered the housing provident fund system. He became Vice Premier in 1991 and joined the Politburo Standing Committee in 1992, serving concurrently as Governor of the People’s Bank of China.

As premier from 1998 to 2003, Zhu implemented sweeping reforms that transformed China’s economy. He managed the Asian Financial Crisis without devaluing the yuan, pushed through state-owned enterprise reform, ended welfare housing allocation, and led China’s WTO accession negotiations, which were completed in 2001. His tenure also saw the launch of the Western Development Strategy and major government institutional reform.

According to NBC News, Zhu “curbed runaway inflation, tightened tax and banking systems and pushed through a sweeping shake-up of the state sector that eliminated millions of jobs at unprofitable firms.” The reforms helped clear the way for China’s accession to the World Trade Organization, foreshadowing integration with the global economy.

Public Mourning and Nostalgia

Zhu’s death triggered a wave of mourning on Chinese social media, with his name trending at number one on Weibo. Some citizens spontaneously laid flowers at his ancestral home Tian Yuan in Changsha, Hunan, despite heavy security around the site.

As BBC Chinese reported, the government deployed heavy security around the funeral procession route and at Babaoshan, reflecting concerns about public mourning turning into political expression. The BBC noted that Chinese authorities have long been wary of public mourning for popular former leaders, recalling how the deaths of Zhou Enlai in 1976 and Hu Yaobang in 1989 triggered widespread demonstrations.

A Weibo user quoted by RFI wrote: “Thank you for everything you have done for this country - we will always remember you.” The outpouring reflects nostalgia for the reform era of the 1990s and early 2000s, which many associate with economic growth, opportunity, and a more open society.

Zhu’s own words at his 2000 press conference captured his approach to public service: “I only hope that after I leave office, the people of the whole country can say one thing: he was an honest official, not a corrupt one, and I will be very satisfied.”

International Condolences

The Japanese government’s decision to lower its embassy flag and send official condolences was notable given the complex history between China and Japan. According to RFI’s report on the Japanese tribute, Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae expressed condolences to President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, mentioning Zhu’s contributions to the development of Japan-China relations. Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong also sent a letter of condolence, stating that Zhu’s “outstanding contributions to China’s development and to Singapore-China relations will be long remembered by the people.”

What’s Next

Zhu’s passing marks the end of an era in Chinese politics, coming just days after the 100th anniversary commemoration of former President Jiang Zemin, who was Zhu’s boss during much of his career. Both leaders are being remembered as symbols of the reform era, and their deaths close a chapter in China’s modern political history.

As China moves forward under Xi Jinping’s leadership, the nostalgia for the reform era embodied by Zhu and Jiang stands in implicit contrast to the current era of tighter state control. The government’s careful management of Zhu’s funeral - from security measures to controlled public mourning - underscores the political sensitivity surrounding the memory of the reform era and its leaders.

Zhu Rongji’s legacy as the architect of China’s economic transformation will endure, even as the country navigates new challenges in its next phase of development. His famous declaration from 1998 - “No matter whether there is a minefield ahead or an abyss of ten thousand feet, I will advance unflinchingly, without hesitation, and will dedicate myself to the cause until my last breath” - remains a defining statement of his commitment to China’s modernization.