Former Premier Zhu Rongji to Be Cremated in Beijing on August 18

The remains of former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji will be cremated in Beijing on August 18, according to an official announcement released by state media. To mourn his passing, national flags will be flown at half-mast on that day across central government headquarters, regional administration seats, the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions, border entry points, and Chinese embassies and consulates worldwide.

Zhu Rongji was a pivotal figure in China's economic modernization, steering the country through extensive state-owned enterprise reforms, fiscal overhauls, and its landmark accession to the World Trade Organization. The state funeral protocol underscores the highest level of national tribute paid to former top-ranking state leaders.

The remains of Comrade Zhu Rongji, former Premier of the State Council and former member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, will be cremated in Beijing on August 18, state media reported. According to an official notice published by Xinhua News Agency and carried across official government and state platforms, Zhu was praised as an outstanding CPC member, a long-tested and loyal communist fighter, an outstanding proletarian revolutionist and statesman, and an outstanding leader of the Party and the state. To honor his memory, national flags will be flown at half-mast on August 18 at key political sites across Beijing, including Tiananmen Square, Xinhuamen (the main entrance to the Zhongnanhai leadership compound), the Great Hall of the People, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The tribute will also be observed nationwide at the administrative headquarters of all provincial, autonomous regional, and municipal party committees and governments, as well as throughout the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions. In addition, flags will be lowered at all border checkpoints, open seaports, international airports, and Chinese embassies and consulates stationed overseas. Zhu served as China's Premier from 1998 to 2003, having previously served as Vice Premier. During his tenure on the 14th and 15th CPC Central Committee Politburo Standing Committees, he oversaw transformative economic reforms, including the restructuring of the banking sector, the overhaul of loss-making state-owned enterprises, the tax-sharing reform, and China's entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001.