China has tightened controls over public expressions of mourning for former Premier Zhu Rongji, as senior Communist Party leaders attended his funeral in Beijing amid growing nostalgia for the reform era he helped shape.
Zhu, who served as premier from 1998 to 2003, died last week at the age of 97 after an illness. He was cremated on Tuesday at Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery, a burial site reserved for senior officials and prominent figures.
President Xi Jinping attended the low-key funeral alongside senior Chinese leaders, although no footage of the ceremony has been released.
Government buildings across Beijing lowered their flags to half-mast, while increased security was visible around the capital.
Chinese state media described Zhu as an “outstanding member of the Chinese Communist Party” and a “time-tested and loyal Communist fighter.”
Xi was among senior officials who visited Zhu in hospital or sent condolences following his death. Those who paid tribute included current Premier Li Qiang and former President Hu Jintao.
However, authorities have simultaneously restricted online discussion surrounding Zhu’s death, amid concerns that public mourning could evolve into criticism of the current leadership.
Posts and commentaries praising the period when Zhu served as premier have been removed from Chinese social media.
An essay by economist Zhao Jian, which described Zhu’s era as a period when Chinese people were poor but optimistic about the future, was deleted from WeChat shortly after publication. “There were no smartphones then, no short-form videos and no screens filled by the purveyors of anxiety.”
“The sky was blue, life moved slowly and people could say what they really thought.”
The restrictions reflect the Communist Party’s longstanding sensitivity to public reactions surrounding the deaths of prominent political figures.
The deaths of former Premier Zhou Enlai in 1976 and former Communist Party general secretary Hu Yaobang in 1989 triggered widespread public mourning that later developed into political protests.
Zhu’s death has also coincided with renewed attention on former President Jiang Zemin, who died in 2022 and whose birth centenary is being commemorated by the Communist Party.
The deaths of Zhu and Jiang, two leading figures from the same generation, have prompted nostalgia among sections of the Chinese public for the 1990s and early 2000s, when China experienced rapid economic growth, expanded international trade and appeared to be moving towards greater openness.
Zhu emerged as one of China’s most prominent economic reformers after being rehabilitated following persecution during Mao Zedong’s rule.
He served as premier under Jiang Zemin during a period of sweeping economic transformation.
The government closed chronically loss-making state-owned enterprises, dismantled the old housing system and introduced a commercial property market, while navigating the Asian financial crisis and securing China’s entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001.
Zhu also became known for his outspoken personality and blunt remarks, a style that remains popular among some Chinese citizens.
He once referred to rogue bankers as “half-wits” and described flood-control structures along the Yangtze River as being as weak as “tofu dregs.”
At a 1999 news conference, Zhu also joked about allegations that China had donated money to the US Democratic Party.
“If the political contribution were to be really that effective, and I have $146 billion of foreign exchange reserve, I can put out at least $10 billion for that purpose,” he said, drawing laughter from the audience.
A documentary about Jiang’s life that was being shown as Zhu died also featured the former premier discussing how he persuaded colleagues to implement difficult reforms.
“I’m not here to talk about pros and cons. I am here to talk about how to get things done,” Zhu said in the footage.
Images of Jiang and Zhu laughing together have also circulated online, with users praising what they described as the leaders’ directness and willingness to speak openly.
Nostalgia Meets Xi’s China
The nostalgia surrounding Zhu and Jiang comes as China under Xi has moved towards stronger central control and a more state-driven economic model.
Xi has prioritised technological self-reliance and strategic industries while placing greater emphasis on the Communist Party’s control over the economy and society.
The Chinese leader has also sought to frame the country’s current trajectory as a continuation of the achievements of previous Communist Party leaders.
In a speech on Monday marking Jiang’s centenary, Xi urged the party to carry forward Jiang’s legacy while warning against potential dangers facing China.
Analysts say, however, that Xi’s political narrative leaves little room for discussion of alternative paths China could have taken.
Kerry Brown, Professor of Chinese Studies and Director of the Lau China Institute at King’s College London, said Xi was seeking to construct a unified historical narrative around China’s development. “He’s trying to put forward a unified historic narrative any idea that their leadership offered or suggested a different future path will not be allowed a public airing.”
He added that the lives of previous leaders would instead be incorporated into the narrative that their actions ultimately transformed China into what it is today.
That approach comes as China faces significant economic and demographic pressures.
Economic growth has slowed, property prices have fallen sharply, youth unemployment remains high and industrial activity has weakened.
For many Chinese families, the optimism associated with the reform era has increasingly given way to uncertainty about future living standards.
Zhao, whose essay was censored, acknowledged that China today has greater material wealth, modern skylines and crowded roads.
But his central question why people feel increasingly empty despite greater prosperity has resonated with those nostalgic for an earlier period. “Life was hard, but it was hardship sustained by hope.”
Erizia Rubyjeana
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