China Holds State Funeral for Former Premier Zhu Rongji

Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji was cremated in Beijing on August 18, 2026, at 98. Flags flew at half-mast nationwide; security tightened across major cities. Zhu, who died August 12 after illness, led China's 2001 WTO entry and sweeping state-enterprise reforms during his 1998–2003 premiership — reforms that displaced tens of millions of workers.