Zhu Rongji, China’s misunderstood reformer, dies

Zhu Rongji, the former Chinese premier and principal architect of the country’s economic reforms, died this week at the age of 97. He will be remembered as the man who masterminded China’s entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO). Zhu was a singular figure in Chinese politics — smart, acerbic and misunderstood. While many saw him as a reformer, they also failed to recognize he was a dedicated member of the Chinese Communist Party who was committed to its continuing rule — despite the many injustices he suffered at its hands. Born in 1928 to a family of landowners and…