China is holding a funeral for former Premier Zhu Rongji, who died last week at age 97. Flags are flying at half-mast at government sites in Beijing, where the cremation ceremony is expected to take place. While officially honoring Zhu as a "loyal" party member and "outstanding member of the Chinese Communist Party," the state is exercising caution.
Authorities are wary that public mourning for Zhu's era of economic reform could be interpreted as veiled criticism of the current government under Xi Jinping. Zhu, who served as premier from 1998 to 2003, is widely remembered as one of China's most significant economic reformers. His death, occurring shortly before the Communist Party leadership gathered to commemorate the birth centenary of former President Jiang Zemin, has sparked a wave of nostalgia among some Chinese citizens for a period perceived as more open to the world and individual freedoms.
This careful management of public sentiment reflects a long-standing fear within the Communist Party regarding public reactions to the deaths of senior officials. Historical precedents, such as the widespread grief and subsequent protests following the deaths of former Premier Zhou Enlai in 1976 and former CCP General Secretary Hu Yaobang in 1989, underscore this sensitivity.
Online discussions and expressions of remembrance for Zhu have been largely contained. For instance, an essay by economist Zhao Jian, which fondly recalled Zhu's era as a time of "properly poor" but hopeful citizens, was removed from WeChat the day after its publication. Zhao had contrasted that period with the present, writing, "There were no smartphones then, no short-form videos and no screens filled by the purveyors of anxiety." He also reflected on a past where "the sky was blue, life moved slowly and people could say what they really thought."