Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji to Be Cremated in Beijing on Tuesday

Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, known for his pivotal role in transitioning China towards a market economy, will be cremated in Beijing on Tuesday. Flags across the country, including in Hong Kong and Macau, will be flown at half-mast, as reported by state media on Sunday. Zhu, who served as premier from 1998 to 2003, died of an illness in Beijing on Wednesday at the age of 97.

According to Xinhua, national flags will fly at half-mast on Tuesday at sites in Beijing, including Tiananmen Square, as well as at provincial government buildings, locations in Hong Kong and Macau, and China’s overseas embassies and consulates. Hong Kong will lower both the national and regional flags at various government sites, including the government headquarters in Admiralty, Government House, all control points, checkpoints at border crossings, and Hong Kong International Airport.

The mourning protocols for Zhu align with those for former premiers Li Keqiang and Li Peng. Dubbed China’s “economic tsar”, Zhu is remembered for overhauling state-owned enterprises and transforming the central planned economy. He masterminded China’s WTO accession in 2001, integrating the country into the global market and transforming its economic trajectory.