# Ex-Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, architect of growth, dies of illness at 98

https://mins.news/en/item/20045

- The Associated Press, 2026-08-12 10:26 UTC
- Politics
- Original: https://bit.ly/4wHMmEh

> Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji has died at the age of 98, state media reported. Known as an impatient and sharp-tongued reformer, he drove painful changes through China’s state-owned industries during the 1990s. Those efforts helped fuel the country’s explosive economic expansion. Zhu also led China into the World Trade Organization.

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