# China’s ex-premier Zhu Rongji, who pushed economic reforms, dies at 97 2026-08-13T05:42:25+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, the driving force behind China's entry into the World Trade Organization and its economic boom, died in Beijing on Wednesday at age 97, state media reported. Xinhua news agency said Zhu died at around 11 a.m. of illness. Zhu served as premier from 1998 to 2003, forcing state-owned companies to become efficient and profitable. His reforms cost millions of layoffs but helped China overtake Japan as the world's second-largest economy in 2010. Known for his sharp tongue and anti-corruption stance, Zhu once said he had 'prepared 100 coffins, 99 for corrupt officials and one for myself.' He was labelled a 'rightist' in 1957 for praising reforms in other communist countries and exiled to the countryside to do manual labour during the Cultural Revolution. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com - ndtv.com Tags: China, economic reform, Obituary, WTO, Zhu Rongji Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/ex-chinese-premier-zhu-rongji-economic-reformer-dies-at-97/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/ex-chinese-premier-zhu-rongji-economic-reformer-dies-at-97/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.