Departures of note

Zhu Rongji was born on 23 October 1928 in Changsha, Hunan. He joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1949 and rose through the ranks of the state planning apparatus, surviving political purges during the Cultural Revolution. In the 1980s he served as mayor of Shanghai, where he earned a reputation for tough anti‑corruption measures and market‑oriented reforms.

As first‑ranked vice premier from 1993 and premier from 1998 to 2003, Zhu became the chief architect of China's rapid economic expansion. He pushed through the restructuring of state‑owned enterprises, introduced fiscal reforms, and championed China's accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001, which opened the country to global trade. His policies helped China overtake Japan as the world's second‑largest economy and transformed it into the largest exporter.

After retiring in 2003, Zhu withdrew from frontline politics but remained a respected elder statesman, publishing memoirs and supporting charitable causes. He continued to comment on economic matters and was honored for his contributions to China's modernization. Zhu Rongji died of illness in Beijing on 12 August 2026 at the age of 98.