Zhu Rongji, the ‘economic czar’ who helped turn China into a powerhouse, dies at 97

By CNN Staff Beijing (CNN) — Zhu Rongji, the steely former Chinese premier whose bold economic reforms propelled the country’s rise as a global powerhouse, has died. He was 97. Zhu, who served as premier from 1998 to 2003, died of illness in Beijing on Wednesday morning, according to state news agency Xinhua. He is