Who Is China's Former Premier Zhu Rongji's Wife Lao An? Met Him In School, A Retired Executive

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Ex-Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji passed away at the age of 97, as reported by the official Xinhua news agency. He was known as a sharp-tongued and impatient reformer who helped ignite China's expanding economic boom by pushing industrial reforms in the 1990s. Zhu had also led China in the World Trade Organization.

Some reports mention that Zhu was aged 98 and was being treated for an illness, but he could not make it. Zhu has left behind his wife, Lao An, and their two kids. As news of his demise spread, all the focus has turned to Zhu's wife, Lao An, who stood by him amid decades of political and economic reforms and his retirement from public life.

Who is former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji's wife Lao An?

According to reports on social media, former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji's wife, Lao An, is a retired Chinese business executive and has been married to Zhu for a decade. According to biographical records available on social media, Zhu was born in Changsha, Hunan Province, in 1929. On the other side, Zhu Rongji's wife, Lao An, then attended Tsinghua University. It was the same university which Zhu had attended to complete his studies.

Zhu Rongji and his wife, Lao An first met in school

Zhu and Lao's relationship dates back to their school years. They first met while studying at Hunan First Provincial Middle School before continuing their education in Beijing. The pair married in 1956, long before Zhu became one of China's top leaders. Zhu Rongji and his wife, Lao An, faced tough times in their marriage. There was a time when Zhu had to perform manual labor in the countryside, after which he had to undergo rehabilitation. Zhu then rose through the Communist Party ranks and became the mayor of Shanghai, vice premier, and then the premier.

Zhu Rongji's wife, Lao An, has always maintained a much lower public profile than her husband, but she was not completely out of the public eye. She had served as a vice chairwoman of the board of the China International Engineering Consulting Corporation, which is a major state-linked consulting-related organization.

Zhu Rongji and his wife, Lao An, have two kids, a daughter named Zhu Yanlai and a son called Zhu Yunlai. Their son made a name in China's financial world and was also the President and Chief Executive of China International Capital Corporation. Zhu and Lao's daughter has also held senior positions in the financial sector, including her role with Bank of China.

Speaking of Zhu Rongji, he is widely known by social activists and people concerned about the poor. Zhu presided over an immense push toward neoliberal economic policies, which entailed the privatization (very often corrupt) of untold billions in state assets. A Redditor had commented:

"He struck me as effective at what he did, but seemingly frustrated by the time he stepped down, either because he was ousted or because he couldn't change things the way he wanted. He was not a social liberal, but hindsight affords most Chinese a favorable opinion on how he steered the economy. He sounds like the Bernie Sanders of China. Except Bernie Sanders will always be a voice in the wilderness, whereas this guy was freakin' premier."

Despite their children’s success, the family generally avoided the kind of public exposure often associated with political dynasties elsewhere. After Zhu retired in 2003, he made only rare appearances, devoting much of his time to reading, philanthropy, and educational causes, according to biographical accounts.

Zhu's wife, Lao, has always been behind the scenes but has seen her late husband bring about national change. She often accompanied Zhu abroad but rarely gave interviews to the media. With the demise of Zhu, China has lost not only a former premier but also an important reformer of the country.

Zhu made a name for himself in the 1990s when he crushed inflation. He was born in Hunan Province in October 1928 and studied electrical engineering at Tsinghua University. This was before he joined the Communist Party back in 1949. Zhu had worked for China's state planning agency before he was called a ''righitist". When the Cultural Revolution took place, he had spent years working on a farm, planting rice and raising pigs.

Rest in peace Zhu Rongji.

Pic credit- scmpnews/IG

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