Key facts
- China lowered national flags at government headquarters to mourn former Premier Zhu Rongji.
- Security was heightened across Beijing, especially around Tiananmen Square.
- Zhu Rongji, premier from 1998-2003, was a key figure in China's economic reforms.
- His tenure saw efforts to curb inflation and integrate China into the global economy via WTO accession.
- Public mourning was managed under tight security and censorship.
China lowered national flags at government headquarters and tightened security across Beijing to mourn former Premier Zhu Rongji, who died last week at the age of 97. Zhu, who served as premier from 1998 to 2003, was a significant figure in China's economic overhaul during the 1990s. His reforms included curbing inflation, strengthening tax and banking systems, and driving state-sector shake-ups. These policies also paved the way for China's accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001, deepening its global economic integration.