# Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji dies at 97, leaving a reform legacy

https://mins.news/en/item/20104

- BBC Chinese, 2026-08-12 11:31 UTC
- Politics
- Original: https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/articles/cp839rnw40po/trad?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

> Zhu Rongji has died at the age of 97. During 12 years serving as vice premier and premier, he led China’s economic development and pursued reforms across almost every part of the economy. His reform drive also drew public criticism because it left large numbers of state-owned enterprise workers unemployed. China subsequently moved substantially toward a market economy, ushering in its fastest period of development in history over the following two decades.

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