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Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, who spearheaded China’s entry into global trade and laid the foundation for its explosive growth, has died at the age of 97.<\/b><\/p>\n
He served in the country’s second-highest office from 1998-2003 and played a leading role in securing its entry into the World Trade Organization, opening Chinese factories to the international market and drawing foreign investment.<\/p>\n
He was one of the most important economic reformers who moved local tax powers to the central government, closed or privatised failing state firms and promoted home ownership. <\/p>\n
Many in China remember him as a tough and pragmatic leader who delivered double-digit growth and wa rarely afraid to speak his mind.<\/p>\n
In 1998, he said China was facing “many potential crises that could erupt at any time…<\/p>\n
“Ordinary people are discontent about us in many ways. Especially, there is corruption among officials, the gulf between rich and poor and the way some local officials act like tyrants.”<\/p>\n
He labelled rogue bankers as “half-wits” and said the dams and flood dykes lining the Yangtze River were as “flimsy and porous as tofu dregs”.<\/p>\n
Under his leadership, which helped stabilise the economy and tackle corruption, China began transforming into a manufacturing powerhouse, leaving behind its status as a Communist outsider.<\/p>\n
Though he faced criticism because those reforms also led to 30 million lay-offs over five years, and with huge growth came more inequality.<\/p>\n
Chinese state media describe Zhu Rongji’s life as one of “revolution, struggle and brilliance”.<\/p>\n
He was born in the central province of Hunan in 1928 and earned a degree in electrical engineering before joining the civil service.<\/p>\n
He joined the Communist Party in 1949, but was purged twice – first after criticising Mao Zedong’s economic policies as “irrational” and being labelled a “rightist”, and again during the Cultural Revolution.<\/p>\n
Zhu was brought back into the fold after Mao’s death, and by 1991 had risen to the role of vice-premier in charge of China’s economy.<\/p>\n
He took the role of premier seven years later.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n