Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji Passes Away at 97

Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, a key architect of China's economic reforms and WTO entry, died in Beijing on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at the age of 97.

Zhu served as Premier from 1998 to 2003, during which he oversaw the restructuring of state-owned enterprises, banking reforms, and the privatization of the housing market.

In 2002, Zhu visited India as a guest of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to strengthen economic ties between the two nations during their early reform stages.