Portrait of Comrade Zhu RongjiXinhua News Agency

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, August 12th: The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China, the State Council of the People's Republic of China, and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference solemnly declare: Outstanding members of the Communist Party of China, time-tested loyalComrade Zhu Rongji, a sincere communist fighter, an outstanding proletarian revolutionist and politician, an outstanding leader of the party and the country, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 14th and 15th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and former Prime Minister of the State Council, died in Beijing at 11:06 on August 12, 2026 at the age of 98 due to ineffective medical treatment.

Comrade Zhu Rongji was born in October 1928 in Changsha, Hunan.He participated in revolutionary work in December 1948 and joined the Communist Party of China in October 1949.When he was a teenager, he loved the motherland, was diligent and studious, pursued progress, and was determined to serve the country.From 1947 to 1951, he studied electrical machinery manufacturing in the Department of Electrical Engineering of Tsinghua University and participated in the "New Democratic Youth League".From 1951 to 1952, he served as deputy director of the Production Planning Office of the Planning Department of the Northeastern Ministry of Industry.From 1952 to 1958, he served successively as the leader of the Energy Bureau and Comprehensive Bureau of the State Planning Commission, deputy director of the Office of the Director of the State Planning Commission, and deputy director of the General Division of the Machinery Bureau of the State Planning Commission.From 1958 to 1969, he served successively as a teacher at the Part-time School for Cadres of the State Planning Commission and an engineer at the National Economic Bureau.From 1970 to 1975, labor was delegated to the “May 7th” Cadre School of the State Planning Commission.From 1975 to 1979, he successively served as deputy director and deputy chief engineer of the Office of the Electric Power Communication Engineering Company of the Pipeline Bureau of the Ministry of Petroleum Industry, and director of the Institute of Industrial Economics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.From 1979 to 1983, he served successively as Director of the Energy Bureau, Deputy Director of the Comprehensive Bureau, Director of the Technical Reform Bureau of the National Economic Commission, and a member of the National Economic Commission.From 1983 to 1987, he successively served as deputy director and member of the Leading Party Members' Group of the State Economic Commission, and deputy director and deputy secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group of the State Economic Commission.From 1987 to 1991, he successively served as deputy secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee, mayor and secretary of the municipal party committee.He proposed that Shanghai should adjust its industrial structure, reorganize new development advantages, enhance its international competitiveness, develop an export-oriented economy, promote the development and opening up of Pudong into a substantial start-up stage, and lay a solid foundation for Shanghai's further reform, opening up and development.In 1991, Comrade Zhu Rongji served as Vice Premier of the State Council, Director and Party Secretary of the State Council Production Office, and Director and Party Secretary of the State Council Economic and Trade Office, in charge of electromechanical energy, railway transportation, metallurgy and chemical industry, light industry and textile.In October 1992, Comrade Zhu Rongji was elected as a member of the Political Bureau and Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee at the First Plenary Session of the 14th CPC Central Committee, responsible for the executive work of the State Council.In June 1993, he concurrently served as governor of the People's Bank of China.He actively publicized and implemented the spirit of Comrade Deng Xiaoping's southern speech, implemented the spirit of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and strived to promote reform, opening up, and modernization.Organize and carry out the clean-up of "triangular debt", focus on root causes and enhance the vitality of corporate operations.We have studied and formulated ideas and measures to strengthen and improve macro-control, further unified our understanding, and done a lot of effective work to reverse economic overheating, curb inflation, and achieve a "soft landing."Efforts will be made to rectify fiscal and taxation order, tighten financial and economic disciplines, strengthen tax collection and management, accelerate fiscal and taxation reform, and improve the financial control system.Promote the reform of grain prices and purchase and sales systems, establish a grain purchase and sales system that meets the requirements of the socialist market economy, implement contracts with large grain growers on the basis of farmers' voluntariness, and develop moderate-scale operations.In September 1997, Comrade Zhu Rongji was re-elected as a member of the Political Bureau and Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee at the First Plenary Session of the 15th CPC Central Committee.In March 1998, at the first session of the Ninth National People's Congress, he was appointed Premier of the State Council and later served as Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the State Council.Faced with the impact of the Asian financial crisis and severe domestic floods, he followed the Party Central Committee's deployment and shifted from implementing moderately tight fiscal and monetary policies to implementing proactive fiscal and prudent monetary policies. He focused on expanding domestic demand, deepened reforms in key areas, and maintained economic stability and rapid growth.Comprehensively adjust the industrial structure, regional structure and urban-rural structure, vigorously develop high-tech industries, especially the information industry, actively support the accelerated development of the modern service industry, and strive to improve the quality and efficiency of economic growth.We will put the solution of "agriculture, rural areas and farmers" in a prominent position, promote the adjustment of agricultural structure according to local conditions, strengthen rural poverty alleviation and development, and promote the coordinated development of urban and rural areas.Adopt a series of policies and measures to expand opening to the outside world and encourage exports, insist on not devaluing the RMB, implement market diversification strategies and win-by-quality strategies, actively attract foreign investment, make better use of both domestic and international markets and resources, and resolutely maintain the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong as an international financial center.We will increase efforts to protect and build the ecological environment, strengthen the management of land, minerals and other resources, and concentrate on controlling pollution in key river basins and regions.Establish basic living security, unemployment insurance, and minimum living security systems for urban residents laid off by state-owned enterprises, and make great efforts to solve problems such as wage arrears and re-employment of laid-off workers.Continue to transform government functions, promote the reform of government institutions, and strive to strengthen the government's own construction.After becoming Premier of the State Council, Comrade Zhu Rongji also served successively as Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Director of the National Economic Structural Reform Commission, Leader of the National Leading Group for Science, Technology and Education, Director of the Three Gorges Project Construction Committee of the State Council, Director of the National Defense Mobilization Committee, and Leader of the Western Region Development Leading Group of the State Council. He devoted a lot of effort in the fields of economic system reform, science and technology, education, western development, and national defense industry.

When Comrade Zhu Rongji served as Vice Premier and Premier of the State Council, our country was in a critical period of transition from a planned economic system to a socialist market economic system.Under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Jiang Zemin at its core, he presided over the reform of the fiscal and tax system, comprehensively implemented major tax reforms with fair tax burdens and simplified tax systems as the core, implemented a tax-sharing fiscal system based on the rational division of central and local powers, and carried out pilot reforms of rural taxes and fees.He actively promoted the reform of the financial system, further standardized the functions of the central bank, deepened the reform of commercial banks, foreign exchange systems, securities and futures markets, etc., and promoted the establishment of a national unified and open financial market system with orderly competition and strict management.He regarded the reform of state-owned enterprises as the central link in the reform of the economic system. In accordance with the requirements of "clear property rights, clear rights and responsibilities, separation of government and enterprises, and scientific management", he accelerated the construction of modern enterprise systems, strategically adjusted the layout of the state-owned economy and reorganized state-owned enterprises. He emphasized that we must do everything possible to promote the re-employment of laid-off workers and strengthen the construction of the social security system.He promoted the reform of the housing system, gradually implemented the monetization of housing allocation, and established and improved a multi-level urban housing supply system with affordable housing as the main body.He continued to deepen the reform of the grain circulation system, promoted the open purchase of farmers' surplus grain at protective prices, the sale of state-owned grain purchase and sales enterprises at the same price, the closed operation of grain purchase funds, and gradually liberalized the grain purchase market and prices in main sales areas.He also presided over the implementation of a series of major reforms such as the social security system, the medical and health system, and the investment and financing system, promoted the establishment of the basic framework of the socialist market economic system, presided over the completion of the arduous negotiations for my country's accession to the World Trade Organization, and promoted the breadth and depth of opening up to the outside world.Comrade Zhu Rongji has deep affection for the people and emphasized that government workers must remember that they are the public servants of the people, dare to tell the truth, not be afraid of offending others, do not engage in specialization, take the initiative to shoulder heavy responsibilities and chew hard bones with a strong sense of responsibility, and make every effort to do practical things for the people.

In March 2003, Comrade Zhu Rongji no longer served as Premier of the State Council.After retiring from his leadership position, he firmly supports and supports the Party Central Committee with Comrade Hu Jintao as General Secretary and the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core. He has always been concerned about the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics and firmly supports the construction of party style and clean government and the fight against corruption.

Comrade Zhu Rongji’s life was a life of revolution, a life of fighting, a life of glory, a life of serving the people wholeheartedly and dedicating himself to the cause of communism.His death is a great loss to the party and the country.We must turn grief into strength, learn from his revolutionary spirit, noble character and fine style, unite more closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, fully implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, deeply understand the decisive significance of the "two establishments", strengthen the "four consciousnesses", strengthen the "four self-confidences", achieve "two safeguards", strengthen confidence, work with one heart and one mind, and work together to comprehensively promote the construction of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation with Chinese modernization.

Comrade Zhu Rongji will live forever!