"Outstanding revolutionist": Ex-premier, architect of China's economic rise dies
This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.
- Zhu Rongji, who served as China's premier from 1998 to 2003, died on Wednesday, August 12
- The former premier was widely credited with steering China's entry into the World Trade Organisation in 2001
- Chinese state media and top party organs issued a joint obituary honouring his decades of service to the Communist Party
Zhu Rongji, the former Chinese premier who oversaw the country's transformation into a global manufacturing giant, died on Wednesday, August 12, at the age of 97.
His death was confirmed by Chinese state media, which published a joint obituary issued by the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the National People's Congress Standing Committee, the State Council, and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
Xinhua confirmed that Zhu died at 11.06am due to an undisclosed illness.
China's economic reformer
Zhu served as premier, the country's second-highest office, from 1998 to 2003, a period marked by sweeping changes to how China managed its economy.
He shifted tax authority from local governments to the central government, privatised or shut down underperforming state enterprises, and championed home ownership at a time when China was still shaking off the constraints of a planned economy.
His most consequential achievement internationally was leading the negotiations that secured China's accession to the World Trade Organisation in 2001, opening Chinese factories to foreign markets and drawing in significant overseas investment.
The official obituary described him as an "outstanding proletarian revolutionist," a statesman, and a "time-tested and loyal communist fighter."
It also praised his insistence that government officials must always remember they are public servants and should speak truthfully without fear of causing offense.
The 'iron-fisted premier'
Zhu earned the nickname "the iron-fisted premier" for his sharp tongue, refusal to read from scripts, and willingness to confront powerful interests.
According to CNN, at a press conference shortly after assuming office in 1998, he declared: "No matter whether there is a minefield or an abyss ahead of me, I will move forward without hesitation, and I will do my best until I die."
He once labelled corrupt bankers as "half-wits" and publicly described flood infrastructure along the Yangtze River as being as "flimsy and porous as tofu dregs."
His reforms were not without controversy. BBC reports that the restructuring of state enterprises resulted in an estimated 30 million job losses over five years, and rapid economic growth under his watch deepened inequality across the country.
Born in Changsha, Hunan province, in October 1928, Zhu graduated from Tsinghua University with a degree in electrical engineering.
He joined the Communist Party in 1949 but was purged twice, once for criticising Mao Zedong's economic policies and again during the Cultural Revolution.
He was rehabilitated after Mao's death and rose through party ranks to become mayor and party secretary of Shanghai, where he pushed market-oriented reforms before being elevated to vice premier in 1991.
He joined the Politburo Standing Committee in 1992 and served until 2002, before stepping down as premier in 2003.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.