Zhu Rongji, China premier crucial to economic transformation, dies at 97

Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji has died at age 97. He was a pivotal figure in China's 1990s economic reforms, transitioning the nation toward a global market-oriented financial system while maintaining party control. Zhu negotiated China's entry into the World Trade Organization and implemented reforms that revitalized the state-directed economy. His life also included a period where he was sent to perform manual labor before becoming a crucial architect of the country's modern economic transformation.