A farewell ceremony for former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, who passed away on the 12th at age 98, was held on the 18th, attended by top party and government leadership including General Secretary and President Xi Jinping.

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Flags fly at half-mast in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, in mourning for former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji. / Xinhua

According to state news agency Xinhua's report that day, Zhu's remains were cremated at the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery in Beijing, a site well known for laying to rest revolutionary elders and other prominent figures. Farewell ceremonies for former General Secretary and President Jiang Zemin in 2022 and former Premier Li Keqiang in 2023 were also held there.

Conducted solemnly amid memorial music, the ceremony featured a banner reading, in white text on a black background, "In Deep Mourning for Comrade Zhu Rongji." Beneath it stood a portrait of Zhu, with his remains laid amid flowers and cypress branches, covered by the bright red flag of the Chinese Communist Party.

The ceremony, which began at 9:30 a.m. that day, was attended by a large gathering of China's top party and government leadership, including President Xi, Premier Li Qiang, National People's Congress Standing Committee Chairman Zhao Leji, Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Chairman Wang Huning, Central Secretariat Secretary Cai Qi, Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, Central Commission for Discipline Inspection Secretary Li Xi, and Vice President Han Zheng.

They observed a moment of silence before Zhu's remains and bowed three times, then went on to shake hands individually with his family members, offering their condolences. Former General Secretary and President Hu Jintao reportedly sent a wreath to express condolences, lending some credence to rumors that he has been gravely ill.

Flags flew at half-mast that day in mourning for Zhu, both in Beijing and across the country. At Tiananmen Square, for instance, a flag-lowering ceremony followed the raising of the five-star red flag. Flags were also flown at half-mast at Xinhuamen, the Great Hall of the People, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, provincial and municipal party and government offices, Hong Kong and Macau, border checkpoints, international ports and airports, and Chinese diplomatic missions abroad, honoring the late leader.

Zhu passed away in Beijing at 11:06 a.m. (local time) on the 12th, at age 98 — a considerable lifespan by any measure. It also seems a notable coincidence that he died at nearly the same age as former President Jiang Zemin, his one-time governing partner.

                                                                                                            Hong Soon-do