Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji dies at 97 after shaping trade opening and reforms

Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji has died at the age of 97, according to the supplied report. He served as China's premier from 1998 to 2003 and was widely associated with the country's push into global trade and a series of major economic reforms. The report says he played a leading role in China's entry into the World Trade Organization and in policies that helped open Chinese factories to international markets.

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The report says Zhu was one of the most important economic reformers of his era. It says he moved local tax powers to the central government, closed or privatised failing state firms and promoted home ownership. It also says he was known as a tough and pragmatic leader who was not afraid to speak his mind, including on corruption and economic problems.

According to the report, Zhu's reforms helped stabilise the economy and support China's rise as a manufacturing power. The same changes also brought criticism, including around 30 million lay-offs over five years and rising inequality. The report says he was remembered by many in China for delivering double-digit growth, while also facing the social costs of rapid restructuring.

His death matters because Zhu was closely tied to a period that reshaped China's economic model and its relationship with the world economy. His role in WTO accession is significant because it marked a major step in China's integration into global trade. The report also places him among the key figures who helped shift the country from a more closed system toward a more market-oriented one.

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The report says Zhu was born in Hunan in 1928, studied electrical engineering and joined the Communist Party in 1949. It says he was purged twice, including after criticising Mao Zedong's economic policies, before returning to public life after Mao's death. By 1991, he had become vice-premier in charge of China's economy, putting him at the centre of reform policy before later becoming premier.

What remains unclear from the supplied material is any official announcement details beyond the reported death at 97. The report does not give information on funeral arrangements or immediate state responses. What to watch next is whether Chinese authorities issue further statements on his legacy and whether state media expands on how he will be commemorated.

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