Grand tribute, sombre farewell: How China remembered Jiang Zemin and Zhu Rongji over two days
China marked late President Jiang Zemin’s birth centenary on Monday (Aug 17) and bid farewell the next day to former Premier Zhu Rongji in two major ceremonies held just 24 hours apart.
On Monday (Aug 17), China observed the birth centenary of late President Jiang Zemin with a grand ceremony held at Beijing's Great Hall of the People. Thousands of individuals gathered to pay tribute to Jiang's political legacy and the transformation China experienced during his tenure. Just 24 hours later, the atmosphere shifted to mourning as former Premier Zhu Rongji passed away on Aug 12 at the age of 97 due to illness.
The funeral took place at Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery, where President Xi Jinping and other top leaders paid their final respects to Zhu. The two back-to-back ceremonies highlighted two contrasting representations of the two figures: Jiang as a political icon and Zhu as a technocratic reformer. Analysts noted that both men's legacies were framed as essential components of China's transformation, with the Communist Party's leadership at the center.
Zhu served as vice premier from 1991 to 1998 and premier from 1998 to 2003, while Jiang was the President from 1989 to 2003. Zhu's legacy is remembered for his forceful, pragmatic approach to reforms and China's entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001.
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