At Ex-Premier Zhu Rongji’s Funeral, China’s Past Shadows Its Present

Beijing wants to portray today’s China as carrying forward Zhu Rongji’s era of growth, but for many Chinese, the optimism of that time has since faded.

PoliticsXi attends funeral for late premier a day after speaking at former president's centenaryChina's then-President Jiang Zemin, right, and then-Premier Zhu Rongji vote to endorse Jiang's political theory at the close of the Communist Party's Congress in November 2002. © ReutersKENJI KAWASEAugust 18, 2026 17:48 JSTT

While hailing Zhu’s legacy, authorities are wary that the nostalgia could lead to criticisms of Xi’s rule.

As vice premier from 1991 to 1998 and premier from 1998 to 2003, Zhu Rongji helped drive China's hard-edged economic overhaul during the 1990s.

China lowers flags, tightens security for funeral of former premier Zhu Rongji  Reuters

Former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji will be cremated in Beijing on Tuesday, with flags across the country – including in Hong Kong and Macau – flown at half-mast, state media reported on Sunday. Zhu, who served as premier from 1998 to 2003 and played a pivotal role in transitioning China towards a market-based economy, d