Former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji dies at age 97

Zhu Rongji, who led China's government as premier from 1998 to 2003, died in Beijing on August 12, 2026. He was 97 years old.

Zhu is remembered as one of the most important figures in China's modern economic history. During his time in office, he pushed through major reforms. He restructured state-owned companies, changed how banks operated, and opened up the housing market. He also moved tax collection away from local governments to central control.

One of his biggest achievements was bringing China into the World Trade Organization in 2001. This helped China become a major player in global trade.