China and Hong Kong Mourn Former Premier Zhu Rongji

China and Hong Kong will observe a day of mourning on Tuesday, August 18, to mark the cremation of former premier Zhu Rongji. Zhu died on August 12 at the age of 98 after serving as the premier of the State Council and as a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 14th and 15th Central Committees of the Communist Party of China.

National flags will fly at half-mast across mainland China at key sites including Tiananmen Square, the Great Hall of the People, Xinhua Gate, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing. The tribute extends to Chinese embassies and consulates globally. In Hong Kong, flags will be lowered at government headquarters in Admiralty, Government House, Hong Kong International Airport, and all border crossing control points.

A joint obituary issued by the CPC Central Committee, the State Council, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference described Zhu as an "outstanding statesman, leader, and loyal communist fighter."