https://www.scmp.com/rss/33418/feed Born on October 1, 1928 in Changsha, Hunan, Zhu Rongji mayor and party chief in Shanghai between 1987 and 1991, before becoming vice premier and then the fifth premier of the People's Republic of China. He held that position between March 1998 and March 2003. He is known for taking a tough stance against corruption in the government and pushing difficult reforms of the state sector. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com William Zheng William Zheng Tian Xuebin, a State Council veteran who worked under several former premiers, has been placed under investigation by the top anti-corruption agency of China’s ruling Communist Party. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), China’s highest political disciplinary and anti-corruption agency, announced on Monday that Tian, 62, had been detained for “suspected serious violations of discipline and law”, a euphemism for corruption. He last served as vice-minister of water resources... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338796/china-continues-chase-corrupt-tigers-state-council-veteran-put-under-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338796/china-continues-chase-corrupt-tigers-state-council-veteran-put-under-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 11:04:41 +0000 The Musk-Ramaswamy duet is gearing up for one of the most ambitious reform projects in US political history. Appointed to president-elect Donald Trump’s proposed Department of Government Efficiency, their mission is to overhaul the government, make it smaller, streamline bureaucracy and ultimately transform the way America operates. It’s a grand vision to tackle some of the country’s most entrenched problems. There might be a lesson or two to be learned from China’s rich history of reformers.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3290381/what-elon-musk-and-vivek-ramaswamy-can-learn-chinas-reformers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3290381/what-elon-musk-and-vivek-ramaswamy-can-learn-chinas-reformers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Dec 2024 01:30:07 +0000 Former Chinese vice-president Wang Qishan has replaced ex-premier Zhu Rongji as honorary chairman of a high-profile multinational academic board that serves as a key “track 1.5” diplomacy channel for Beijing. The advisory board of the Tsinghua University school of economics and management was founded by Zhu in the year 2000 to be a platform for dialogue among the world’s business titans, leading academics and Chinese officials. Tsinghua University president Li Luming conveyed a message of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3284682/chinas-key-track-15-diplomacy-channel-sees-reins-pass-zhu-rongji-wang-qishan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3284682/chinas-key-track-15-diplomacy-channel-sees-reins-pass-zhu-rongji-wang-qishan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Oct 2024 13:00:18 +0000 A falling birth rate and rising life expectancy have aged China’s population, shrunk the workforce, and raised questions about outdated retirement policies and the sustainability of public pension schemes. This has long prompted discussion of the need to raise retirement ages set during an earlier stage of the country’s development, which are now lower than in other major economies and trading partners. It is never a good time to tell people they have to work longer and put in more and get less... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3279044/raising-retirement-age-inevitable-amid-chinas-demographic-changes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3279044/raising-retirement-age-inevitable-amid-chinas-demographic-changes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Sep 2024 15:52:54 +0000 China has set out an ambitious plan to overhaul the taxation system to help cash-strapped local governments rebuild the fraying social safety net and improve people’s livelihoods. This aspect of the reform agenda is critical, and getting it right will help underpin the restructuring of the overall economy. Fiscal reform is therefore welcome and long overdue. Over the next five years, China will aim for a “clear division of responsibilities, coordinated financial resources and regional balance”... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3271765/fiscal-shake-must-be-success-sake-china-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3271765/fiscal-shake-must-be-success-sake-china-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jul 2024 16:17:29 +0000 The “two sessions”, the annual meetings of China’s top legislative and political advisory bodies, concluded on Monday without the much-anticipated press conference hosted by the country’s premier, discontinuing a customary practice that was established in the early 1990s. According to the official explanation, the press conference at the close of this year’s National People’s Congress (NPC) was cancelled because there was already sufficient information from lawmakers, ministers and policy... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3254965/why-i-miss-chinese-premiers-annual-press-conference-close-countrys-two-sessions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3254965/why-i-miss-chinese-premiers-annual-press-conference-close-countrys-two-sessions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Mar 2024 23:00:14 +0000 It is sometimes puzzling to find that many of the people who benefited a lot from China’s economic liberalisation still have strong feelings about the word “capital”, using it interchangeably with terms such as “greed”, “exploitation” or “evil”, depending on the context. While the country officially regards capital as one of the production factors in its socialist economy along with land, technology and data, private capital is still sometimes seen as a source of social problems, such as income... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3231782/entrepreneurs-are-hope-chinas-economic-future-so-stop-making-capital-dirty-word?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3231782/entrepreneurs-are-hope-chinas-economic-future-so-stop-making-capital-dirty-word?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Aug 2023 23:00:12 +0000 Shan Weijian recalled China’s golden era of economic reforms from 2000 to 2010, and the eye-watering growth evident in this period. In 2005, he led the only foreign takeover of a Chinese bank to date, and had to navigate the twists and turns of a country that was eager to change, but only wanted foreign capital that would come in on friendly terms. Shan was the co-managing partner of San Francisco-based private-equity firm Newbridge Capital when it took over a controlling stake in Shenzhen... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3208605/maos-former-barefoot-doctor-recalls-sole-foreign-takeover-chinese-bank?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3208605/maos-former-barefoot-doctor-recalls-sole-foreign-takeover-chinese-bank?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Jan 2023 14:30:08 +0000 As part of SCMP’s commitment to providing comprehensive coverage of former Chinese president Jiang Zemin’s death and legacy, this story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. China’s embrace of change in critical times – with bold economic reform and the pursuit of favourable external ties – was seen as a hallmark of Jiang Zemin’s 13-year leadership. And such proactive pursuits serve as a lesson that many... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3202137/chinas-economic-rise-under-jiang-zemin-featured-lessons-warnings-still-resonate-today?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3202137/chinas-economic-rise-under-jiang-zemin-featured-lessons-warnings-still-resonate-today?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Dec 2022 22:00:17 +0000 The passing of former leaders of great nations prompts reflection on their importance. In the case of Jiang Zemin, who died aged 96 on Wednesday, history is already being kind to him. His relevance to contemporary China is uncontested. He took leadership of the Communist Party at a time of national crisis that could have changed the course of history. He kept policies of opening up and reform on track, led China out of international isolation and implemented the unique “one country, two systems”... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3201751/hong-kong-handover-just-one-milestone-man-who-led-china-out-crisis-and-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3201751/hong-kong-handover-just-one-milestone-man-who-led-china-out-crisis-and-world?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Dec 2022 18:44:12 +0000 China is facing mounting economic pressure on a number of fronts, from a disruptive zero-Covid strategy being used to curb the spread of Omicron to market turmoil fuelled by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and aggressive rate hikes from the US Federal Reserve. As debate swirls in Beijing about how the government should respond, we take a look back over recent history to see how China has weathered previous economic challenges. 1998: State-owned enterprise reform When Zhu Rongji took over the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3174784/5-defining-moments-chinese-economy-over-past-25-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3174784/5-defining-moments-chinese-economy-over-past-25-years?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Apr 2022 20:30:19 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping paid special tribute to his predecessors and revolutionary leaders in his speech to mark the Communist Party’s centenary on Thursday morning as he urged the younger generation to follow the party in pursuit of the dream of national rejuvenation. Delivering his speech at Tiananmen, the Gate of Heavenly Peace, where Mao Zedong declared the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949, Xi praised the older generations for their contribution to the country. “We owe all... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3139500/chinese-communist-party-centenary-xi-jinping-tries-build?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3139500/chinese-communist-party-centenary-xi-jinping-tries-build?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jul 2021 14:41:38 +0000 It was a celebration on a grand scale as the Communist Party marked its centenary in the heart of Beijing on Thursday, seeking to reinforce political messages and calling on young Chinese to take part in its vision for the future. Security was tight as an audience of more than 70,000 filled Tiananmen Square – chosen from party organs, government bodies and research and scientific institutes, as well as dozens of people representing ethnic minorities who were flown in from across the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3139499/chinas-communist-party-sticks-script-day-young-and-old?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3139499/chinas-communist-party-sticks-script-day-young-and-old?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jul 2021 13:45:00 +0000 China’s Central Rural Work Conference, an annual gathering for the nation’s leaders to discuss agriculture and areas where many of the country’s poorest residents live, has sent a consistent message over the last quarter century: Beijing values the importance of its vast countryside and the more than half a billion people who live there. It is more than just paying lip service. In a span of about a generation, China has improved infrastructure – from roads to electricity – in the countryside;... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3116360/revitalising-chinas-rural-regions-xi-jinpings-next-priority?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3116360/revitalising-chinas-rural-regions-xi-jinpings-next-priority?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Jan 2021 09:30:12 +0000 Relations between Ottawa and Beijing plunged dramatically in the two years after 2016 when Chinese Premier Li Keqiang hailed “a new golden decade” between the two countries – a warm echo of his predecessor Zhu Rongji who in 1998 described Canada as “China’s best friend in the world”. All that changed in December 2018 when China and Canada became locked in a prolonged political and judicial struggle, with Ottawa caught in the middle of an increasingly bitter tug of war between Beijing and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3095495/no-clear-end-china-canada-relations-slide-which-began-arrest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3095495/no-clear-end-china-canada-relations-slide-which-began-arrest?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Aug 2020 09:00:05 +0000 China’s business environment is becoming increasingly politicised and foreign firms are having to compete against an evermore dominant state sector, according to a leading European business group. In its annual survey, the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China for the first time asked its member companies about the political environment in the country – after foreign companies were caught up in a string of controversies over Taiwan and Hong Kong. About 43 per cent of the respondents said... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3088239/dont-waste-crisis-eu-business-group-presses-china-open-markets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3088239/dont-waste-crisis-eu-business-group-presses-china-open-markets?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Jun 2020 01:30:18 +0000 Excessive monetary easing will not save the global or Chinese economies, the ex-head of the country’s first investment bank and son of its greatest reformers said on Tuesday, and Beijing should instead have the courage to proceed with much needed structural reforms. “It’s impossible to lift the economy out of mud by continuously printing money,” Zhu Yunlai, the former CEO of China International Capital Corporation (CICC), the country’s leading investment bank, told an annual conference organised... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3037436/former-chinese-premier-zhu-rongjis-son-calls-reforms-not?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3037436/former-chinese-premier-zhu-rongjis-son-calls-reforms-not?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Nov 2019 13:30:09 +0000 Many Hongkongers hold the mainland and its people in contempt. Taking pride in their higher income and association with their former colonial master, they would rather be British than Chinese, even as many of the city's wealthier residents already hold foreign passports. As protests continue into a fourth month, with no end in sight, the question is: what should Beijing do? Probably nothing. With a deep sense of history, Chinese leaders play the long game and know not to be provoked. Beijing can... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3031063/hong-kongs-protests-dont-faze-beijing-leaders-will-play-long-game?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3031063/hong-kongs-protests-dont-faze-beijing-leaders-will-play-long-game?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Oct 2019 22:00:11 +0000 It is often forgotten that China’s thinking in the 1980s about economic reform, including of state-owned enterprises, was heavily influenced by leading “reformist” Central European economists of the so-called market socialism school. However, serious reform of state-owned enterprises took off only in the mid-1990s under Zhu Rongji’s economic leadership, but this was much more radical than anything contemplated under market socialism. No doubt, this was influenced by the deep structural reforms... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3020684/how-china-can-reboot-soe-reforms-following-czech-republic-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3020684/how-china-can-reboot-soe-reforms-following-czech-republic-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Jul 2019 19:00:13 +0000 Reforms to China’s highly-leveraged economy are “the only way out” of its current economic malaise, according to a veteran government adviser, who questioned whether Beijing’s stimulus measures would be effective in riding out the trade war with the United States. The Chinese government has scaled back efforts at curbing debt levels, instead turning to infrastructure investment and consumer spending as a means of encouraging growth, with the policies enjoying popular support among many... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3014883/chinese-economic-reforms-are-only-way-out-us-trade-war-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3014883/chinese-economic-reforms-are-only-way-out-us-trade-war-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Jun 2019 12:00:06 +0000 China’s move away from market-oriented reforms has undermined the country’s economy, and Beijing’s leaders must reverse course soon to prevent a tailspin, a prominent US economist has warned. The resurgence of China’s state sector followed a series of supportive measures to make them bigger and stronger, which sidelined the private sector, said Nicholas Lardy, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics who has written about the Chinese economy and financial sector for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2185905/china-puts-its-economy-risk-spurning-market-oriented-reforms-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2185905/china-puts-its-economy-risk-spurning-market-oriented-reforms-it?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Feb 2019 19:22:33 +0000 During his run as premier under President Jiang Zemin, Zhu Rongji – a former Shanghai mayor – was the object of respect from Western leaders and one reason they regarded China’s rise as a sustainable economic and geopolitical force with which they would have to work, like it or not. He had the force of intellect, semi-ready pragmatism, and a command over the relevant mainland bureaucracies that were relied on to deliver on understandings with Washington. Since he stepped down 16 years ago, a... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2183892/wang-qishan-could-be-new-face-chinese-pragmatism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2183892/wang-qishan-could-be-new-face-chinese-pragmatism?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Jan 2019 17:03:32 +0000 Levin Zhu, the son of former Premier Zhu Rongji, has resigned as chief executive of the first Sino-foreign joint venture investment bank in a surprise move likely to slow down the company's initial public offering (IPO) process. The 57-year-old Zhu used his clout at China International Capital Corp (CICC) to secure mega underwriting deals from state-owned juggernauts such as China Unicom. CICC said Shoukang Lin, a managing director, would become acting chief executive. It expressed its "utmost... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/1616546/levin-zhu-son-former-premier-zhu-rongji-quits-investment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/1616546/levin-zhu-son-former-premier-zhu-rongji-quits-investment?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2014 21:00:15 +0000 Former premier Zhu Rongji has made a rare public gesture, writing a letter for the 30th anniversary of his alma mater, becoming the latest ex-party leader to step briefly out of low-key retirement. Such incidents involving retired leaders are unusual and provide a glimpse into their lives after leaving official duties. Zhu, 85, wrote the letter to the School of Economics and Management at Tsinghua University, according to mainland news portals. Zhu was dean of the school for nearly 17 years from... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1499101/former-chinese-premier-zhu-rongji-breaks-long-silence-letter-university?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1499101/former-chinese-premier-zhu-rongji-breaks-long-silence-letter-university?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Apr 2014 07:45:15 +0000 Former premier Zhu Rongji has made a rare public appearance with a videotaped speech that will accompany the launch of his book in the United States. Zhu delivered the brief speech at a ceremony launching the English edition of Zhu Rongji on the Record: The Road to Reform 1991-1997, which is to go on sale in the US this month. Zhu appeared in good sprits and spoke in English on the video, which was obtained by the South China Morning Post. It was made two weeks ago, sources who provided the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1307256/zhu-rongji-makes-rare-public-appearance-hawk-his-new-book?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1307256/zhu-rongji-makes-rare-public-appearance-hawk-his-new-book?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +0000 An excerpt from a forthcoming book has made public for the first time a speech by ex-premier Zhu Rongji in which he praises former president Jiang Zemin. Its appearance is likely aimed at the leaders meeting at the seaside resort of Beidaihe, where they are hammering out differences ahead of policy meetings in the autumn, one observer said. Jiang made a rare public endorsement of President Xi Jinping last month, and the speech may be intended to show unity among the older guard. The People's... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1295745/zhu-rongji-speech-newly-revealed-likely-aimed-leadership-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1295745/zhu-rongji-speech-newly-revealed-likely-aimed-leadership-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Aug 2013 16:00:00 +0000 The son of former premier Zhu Rongji and other financial heavyweights appointed to the new Financial Services Development Council will be subject to the city's anti-corruption laws as if they were public officials. A government spokesman said yesterday the 22-member council, which includes five influential mainlanders, would be treated as a "public body" as defined in the anti-corruption ordinance and all members would be treated as "public officers" subject to the scrutiny of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1131329/hong-kongs-graft-laws-apply-zhu-rongjis-son-and-other-members-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1131329/hong-kongs-graft-laws-apply-zhu-rongjis-son-and-other-members-new?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000 "Every man should confine himself to his own duties", the Chinese saying goes, and when state leaders retire they often vow to refrain from interfering in the nation's politics and seek more time to pursue personal interests. Some travel around the country to relax, write books and learn the arts, but others want to show they are still political heavyweights. Former president Jiang Zemin, though never a man to shy away from publicity, appeared for a long time to be in the former camp. When he... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1079639/retired-life-comes-easy-some-ex-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1079639/retired-life-comes-easy-some-ex-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Former president Jiang Zemin and other party veterans returned to centre stage at the Great Hall of the People yesterday, demonstrating their continued power to shape the country's future. The 86-year-old retired party chief, who was rumoured to be near death last year, walked slowly to the stage with the help of an aide immediately behind his successor, Hu Jintao . Jiang mingled with his comrades and appeared in good spirits even before the repeated mention of his name in Hu's 90-minute... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1078153/jiang-zemin-leads-show-strength-party-old-guard-18th-congress?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1078153/jiang-zemin-leads-show-strength-party-old-guard-18th-congress?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Former premier Li Peng has thrust himself into the public eye before next week's party congress by donating 3 million yuan (HK$3.7 million) to a scholarship for poor university students in Yanan, the Communist Party's old revolutionary base in Shaanxi. The source of the money was the proceeds of books Li wrote in retirement, CCTV reported yesterday. Li's public foray came just a few days after his successor, Zhu Rongji, and Vice-Premier Wang Qishan met the advisory board of Tsinghua University's... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1073538/retired-leader-li-peng-seeks-show-influence-ahead-congress?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1073538/retired-leader-li-peng-seeks-show-influence-ahead-congress?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000 While former premier Zhu Rongji is credited with introducing bold measures that set the mainland's financial system on the path of reform, his successor Wen Jiabao may be remembered more for his eloquent speeches than strong action when he steps down from his position early next year. Zhu, 83, published a set of books late last year aimed at explaining the economic and financial reform process during his 12 years as vice-premier and premier until Wen took over in 2003. The books quickly won... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1035270/premier-wens-rule-overshadowed-predecessor-zhus-bold-reforms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1035270/premier-wens-rule-overshadowed-predecessor-zhus-bold-reforms?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Sep 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Symbolism can matter a great deal in politics, and Vice-Premier Wang Qishan's similarities to his political mentor, Zhu Rongji, have helped boost his popularity among party officials and ordinary citizens. With similar personalities, working styles and political careers, Wang and former premier Zhu, a respected reformist, have even shared many nicknames, including problem solver, fire-brigade captain, crisis manager and troubleshooter. Both have been described as straight-talking, dynamic and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1029623/wang-qishan-mainlands-economic-reformer-waiting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1029623/wang-qishan-mainlands-economic-reformer-waiting?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Sep 2012 16:00:00 +0000 China's economic reform has significantly slowed since the start of this century, due partly to spreading and deep-rooted corruption in the world's No 2 economy, says Wu Jinglian, one of the mainland's most famous and liberal economists. Wu, 82, told the South China Morning Post in an exclusive interview that the government should not fear economic and political reforms, which, he believed, could strengthen China and make it more effective in the face of rising global uncertainty. 'When people... https://www.scmp.com/article/996628/graft-putting-brakes-reform?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/996628/graft-putting-brakes-reform?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Mar 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Quantitatively, Premier Wen Jiabao can lay claim to being the most outstanding head of government in recorded history. But critics and admirers alike say that qualitatively, his record has been mixed. Wen, 70, who will step down from his Communist Party post in about six months and give up the premiership in March next year after two five-year terms, met or exceeded numerous targets set in the 10th and 11th five-year plans, running from 2001 to 2010. Since taking office in 2003, he has overseen... https://www.scmp.com/article/995857/peoples-premier-leaves-mixed-legacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/995857/peoples-premier-leaves-mixed-legacy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Mar 2012 16:00:00 +0000 A decade is a long time in government in China, but a year is not. Premier Wen Jiabao, giving his 10th and final closing news conference at the end of the National People's Congress this week, spoke of his achievements and what he still hoped to attain in his final 12 months in office before stepping aside for the new leadership. He has done a competent job, but his wish to further his legacy as the 'people's premier' has all but hit a wall. Without political reform, the changes he seeks that... https://www.scmp.com/article/995711/peoples-premier-has-run-out-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/995711/peoples-premier-has-run-out-time?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Mar 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Wisdom may have dictated that Premier Wen Jiabao use his last all-important annual news conference to laud his government's economic achievements during the past decade. Instead, the 69-year-old premier adopted a humble approach, apologising to his people for failing to accomplish some of his duties and asking them to forget him after he dies. The once-a-year event was Wen's last, as he will step down from his party post in about six months and retire from the premiership next March. 'They have... https://www.scmp.com/article/995480/forget-me-and-good-i-did-when-i-die?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/995480/forget-me-and-good-i-did-when-i-die?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Mar 2012 16:00:00 +0000 It is a quirk of democracies that incoming governments end up reaping the economic harvest sowed by their predecessors. In the United States, it was George Bush senior's 50 per cent reduction in defence spending relative to gross domestic product in the late 1980s that allowed Bill Clinton to balance the federal budget 10 years later, ushering in a long period of prosperity. And it was the healthy fiscal position he inherited from Clinton that convinced George Bush junior he could cut taxes and... https://www.scmp.com/article/995441/no-golden-age-wen-leaves-legacy-economic-problems?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/995441/no-golden-age-wen-leaves-legacy-economic-problems?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Mar 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Former premier Zhu Rongji has implicitly criticised the central government for its failure to establish a corruption-free bureaucracy. Attending a Peking Opera show held by the Shanghai municipal government on Wednesday to celebrate the coming Lunar New Year, the 83-year-old reminded the 1,500 people in the audience - including more than 1,200 officials with the rank of bureau head - that the city had a 'clean government' from 1987 to 1991 under his administration. 'Looking back to the era when... https://www.scmp.com/article/990699/zhu-stinging-criticism-anti-corruption-failures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/990699/zhu-stinging-criticism-anti-corruption-failures?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Former vice-minister of commerce Wei Jianguo has seen just how much a leader's personality and wisdom can change history. As a witness to Sino-US talks around China's bid to join the World Trade Organisation, Wei saw former premier Zhu Rongji play a decisive role at a critical moment. 'Premier Zhu's involvement at the 11th hour, in the last and most crucial round of talks between China and the US 12 years ago, was crucial for China's official admission to WTO a year later,' Wei said, referring... https://www.scmp.com/article/987557/man-one-hour-changed-course-make-or-break-trade-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/987557/man-one-hour-changed-course-make-or-break-trade-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000 There is a popular belief among admirers of China's authoritarian model for economic growth that one-party rule has ensured the leadership does not have to pander to short-term demands from fickle voters and can sacrifice civil and political rights to focus on development and to achieve long-term benefits. Indeed, Chinese leaders like to boast that the mainland's socialist model with Chinese characteristics means the government has been able to quickly marshal national resources and push... https://www.scmp.com/article/987558/leaders-not-immune-focus-quick-fixes-populist-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/987558/leaders-not-immune-focus-quick-fixes-populist-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000 'People say that in state-owned enterprises, one man works, one man watches and one man makes trouble,' former premier Zhu Rongji once quipped. He came up with a simple solution: get rid of two of the three. But while Zhu, a reformist with a direct approach, had an undeniably dramatic impact on the mainland economy as vice-premier from 1991 and then premier from 1998, a glance at the numbers shows he was only partly successful. Indeed, the restructuring of the state-owned industrial sector has... https://www.scmp.com/article/987376/what-trade-overhaul?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/987376/what-trade-overhaul?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Fiery Peking University professor Kong Qingdong, a key leftist academic, is no stranger to publicity. He was back in the public spotlight last month after he claimed in a microblog entry he had told Cao Linhua, a reporter for Southern People Weekly magazine, to 'f*** off' three times in a row because Cao represented a 'traitorous' media organisation, Nanfang Media Group. 'A minute ago, Southern People Weekly called me for an interview with a nice attitude but sinister language,' Kong, a... https://www.scmp.com/article/986936/dons-vulgar-remark-sparks-lively-debate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/986936/dons-vulgar-remark-sparks-lively-debate?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000 On Beijing and Shenzhen having the world's angriest drivers: Bjorn Berg - Traffic in Beijing is horrible. I used to be able to see the huge traffic jams from my office. Getting around the city was quite a pain. I don't see it improving any time soon though. Part of the problem there is the poor urban planning, which is not easily rectified. Letitia Wong - We need to give our mainland compatriots another 15 to 20 years to catch up with others, such as the Japanese. When I lived in Beijing not... https://www.scmp.com/article/979001/whats-being-said-facebookcomsouthchinamorningpost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/979001/whats-being-said-facebookcomsouthchinamorningpost?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Sep 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Former premier Zhu Rongji, considered by many the architect of the country's economic boom, published his fourth book last week, giving a glimpse of his unique work style and the personal likes and dislikes that made him unlike any other communist leader. At more than 2,000 pages long, the four-volume collection of his speeches, remarks and letters from his time as China's economic tsar and premier offers further insight into why he was regarded as such a fierce individualist, with few allies... https://www.scmp.com/article/978803/man-party-machine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/978803/man-party-machine?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Sep 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Former premier Zhu Rongji criticised Hong Kong's media, describing them as being filled with insults, during a meeting with a Hong Kong delegation to the National People's Congress in March 2001, according to his book, which was published last week. The four-volume work, Record of Zhu Rongji's Talks, is more than 2,000 pages and is published in Chinese only. It includes more than 300 articles of the retired leader's speeches, talks, letters and written instructions from 1991 to 2003, when he ... https://www.scmp.com/article/978773/zhu-scolds-hk-media?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/978773/zhu-scolds-hk-media?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Sep 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Former premier Zhu Rongji criticised Hong Kong's media, describing them as being filled with invective, during a session of a Hong Kong delegation to the National People's Congress in March 2001, according to his book, which was published yesterday. The four-volume work, Record of Zhu Rongji's Talks, is more than 2,000 pages thick and is published in Chinese only. It includes more than 300 articles of the retired leader's speeches, talks, letters and written instructions from 1991 to 2003, when... https://www.scmp.com/article/978521/zhu-berated-abusive-hk-media-book-reveals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/978521/zhu-berated-abusive-hk-media-book-reveals?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Sep 2011 16:00:00 +0000 As uncertainty about whether the global economy is heading into a double-dip recession resurfaces, worries about China's economic growth are also set to bubble over as investors brace for more volatility in the stock, currency, and bond markets in the weeks or months ahead. Mainland leaders are facing an acute dilemma in steering the world's second-largest economy. On one hand, Standard & Poor's decision to cut the United States' triple-A credit rating last week is the latest ominous sign of... https://www.scmp.com/article/975689/hard-landing-may-be-good-medicine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/975689/hard-landing-may-be-good-medicine?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Aug 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Former premier Zhu Rongji made a rare public appearance yesterday, delivering a scathing criticism of the mainland's education system and other policies during a visit to his alma mater, Tsinghua University. Zhu (pictured) lashed out at the much-criticised reform of tertiary education and urged mainland officials and scholars to speak the truth. He said a newly published directive on trial reforms of the education system was 'full of empty talk and nonsense', according to excerpts of his... https://www.scmp.com/article/965804/zhu-rongji-resurfaces-criticise-education-reforms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/965804/zhu-rongji-resurfaces-criticise-education-reforms?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Apr 2011 16:00:00 +0000 This week you will have read a lot about the jailing of mainland billionaire Wong Kwong-yu for 14 years and 600 million yuan (HK$685.62 million) fine for insider trading and bribery. Is the jail term too harsh? What does it mean for his empire, the Gome group? Wong was once the country's richest man and his fall also brought down many top officials. However, other than that, I do not see much significance in the sentence. A look at the whereabouts of some other disgraced financial... https://www.scmp.com/article/715027/jail-not-end-disgraced-high-flyers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/715027/jail-not-end-disgraced-high-flyers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 May 2010 16:00:00 +0000 For weeks, China's leading economists have been babbling away on news talk shows about how certain they are that the mainland's economy is insulated from the global financial crisis because of its 'Chinese characteristics'. The nation's leaders, however, may now be thinking otherwise, and possibly getting a bit jittery. As the Communist Party Central Committee's economic working commission began meeting in Beijing early this month, the streets around Tiananmen Square were full of police... https://www.scmp.com/article/665312/hard-times?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/665312/hard-times?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:00:00 +0000