China Bids Farewell to Former Premier Zhu Rongji with State Funeral in Beijing

Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji was cremated in Beijing on August 18, 2026, at age 98. Flags flew at half-mast nationwide and security tightened across major cities for the funeral. Zhu, who died August 12 after illness, led China's WTO accession and sweeping state-enterprise reforms during his 1998–2003 premiership — reforms that displaced tens of millions of workers.