China To Hold Funeral For Former Premier Zhu Rongji In Beijing On August 18

The funeral of former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji will be held in Beijing on August 18, days after his death at a time when his economic legacy is again drawing attention in China and abroad.

Zhu died in Beijing on August 12 after an illness. Chinese state media put his age at 98. Zhu served as premier from 1998 to 2003 under President Jiang Zemin. He was known for his sharp words, tough style and strong stand against corruption. Before becoming premier, he served as Shanghai mayor and later as vice premier and played a key role in handling China's high inflation in the 1990s.

As premier, Zhu pushed major changes in state owned companies, the tax system, banking and housing. His reforms helped make Chinese firms more competitive, but they also came with a heavy social cost. Millions of state sector workers lost their jobs as inefficient firms were closed or restructured.

Zhu's biggest achievement on the world stage was helping China join the World Trade Organisation in 2001. The move helped open the country further to global trade and played a major role in the huge growth of Chinese exports in the years that followed.

His reforms also left problems that China still faces. Changes to tax collection gave Beijing more control over revenue, but local governments later became more dependent on land sales and borrowing.

National flags will fly at half mast on August 18 at Tian'anmen Square, Xinhuamen, the Great Hall of the People and ministry buildings. The flags will also be lowered in Hong Kong and Macao.

Public mourning has been closely watched in Zhu's ancestral village in Hunan, where residents placed tributes near his former home. Authorities later removed some of them. Reports said officials were cautious about large public gatherings around his death.

In its official obituary, China's Communist Party praised Zhu as a loyal party member and an outstanding revolutionary. His death has revived memories of an era when economic reform and opening up were moving at a much faster pace.