Zhu Rongji’s Death Fuels Nostalgia for 1990s China as Unease Grows at 97
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Aug 18
Zhu Rongji’s Death Fuels Nostalgia for 1990s China as Unease Grows at 97
3 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Aug 18
Summary
Online tributes to Zhu Rongji after his death at 97 have become a broader outlet for public unease with China’s current direction, not just mourning for a former premier.
Zhu’s image as a charismatic, plain-spoken reformer has sharpened that reaction because he led 1990s economic changes that helped launch two decades of rapid growth.
In China’s tightly controlled political system, public grief for prominent leaders can double as indirect criticism when open channels for dissent are limited.
The response has extended the nostalgia seen around Zhu’s state funeral this week, drawing implicit comparisons between his reform era and the challenges under Xi Jinping.