Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, one of the key figures behind China’s rapid economic transformation in the 1990s and early 2000s, has died at the age of 98. Chinese state media reported that Zhu died of illness in Beijing at around 11 am on Wednesday (local time). Known for his blunt manner and uncompromising approach to economic reform, Zhu served as China’s premier from 1998 to 2003. During his tenure, he pushed sweeping changes across the state-owned sector and played a crucial role in taking China into the World Trade Organisation (WTO) — a move that became a major milestone in the country’s integration with the global economy.