On August 12, 2026, during the sensitive period of the CCP’s Beidaihe Conference, former Politburo Standing Committee member and Premier of the State Council, Zhu Rongji, passed away. Within less than four years since the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, a total of five former national-level leaders have passed away, including former Party leader Jiang Zemin, former Premier Li Keqiang, former Chairman of the National People’s Congress Wu Bangguo, and former Standing Committee member Song Ping.
On August 12, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. Beijing time, the CCP’s official media Xinhua News Agency released an obituary announcing the passing of Zhu Rongji, who served as a member of the 14th and 15th Central Politburo Standing Committee and former Premier of the State Council. He had been receiving medical treatment for an illness that proved to be incurable, and he passed away at 11:06 a.m. in Beijing on August 12, 2026, at the age of 98.
Since stepping down as Premier in 2003, Zhu Rongji gradually faded from the political stage and maintained a low profile. His last public appearance was in October 2018 when he met with the Advisory Committee members of the School of Economics and Management at Tsinghua University in Beijing. After that, he rarely made public appearances.
In recent years, there had been frequent reports about Zhu Rongji’s declining health, with his absence from various important official CCP events, including missing the October 2019 National Day military parade and reception, leading to speculation among the public.
Just five months ago, on March 4, 2026, during the CCP’s annual Two Sessions, Song Ping, a member of the CCP’s 13th Central Politburo Standing Committee and former State Councilor and Minister of the Organization Department, passed away at the age of 109 due to an incurable illness.
Less than four years since the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China held in October 2022, three other former national-level leaders have also passed away.
One month after the Congress, on November 30, 2026, former Party leader Jiang Zemin passed away at the age of 96. The official obituary stated that Jiang Zemin suffered from leukemia and multiple organ failure, leading to his passing.
On October 27, 2023, Li Keqiang, who served as Premier for only seven months, passed away at the age of 68 in Shanghai. Official reports mentioned that Li Keqiang suffered a sudden heart attack on October 26, 2023, while resting in Shanghai, and despite efforts to save him, he passed away at midnight on October 27, 2023. The cause of Li Keqiang’s death has continued to be questioned by the public, with various rumors circulating.
On October 8, 2024, Wu Bangguo, a former member of the Politburo Standing Committee and former Chairman of the National People’s Congress, passed away in Beijing at the age of 84. Wu Bangguo, a member of the “Shanghai Gang” associated with Jiang Zemin, had served as Deputy Secretary and Secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council. He was also elected twice as the Chairman of the National People’s Congress from 2003 to 2013.
Following Zhu Rongji’s passing, there are currently 17 former national-level leaders (former Standing Committee members) of the CCP still alive. They include Hu Jintao (born in 1942, 84 years old), Li Ruihuan (born in 1934, 92 years old), Wen Jiabao (born in 1942, 84 years old), Jia Qinglin (born in 1940, 86 years old), Zhang Dejiang (born in 1946, 80 years old), Yu Zhengsheng (born in 1945, 81 years old), Li Lanqing (born in 1950, 76 years old), Wang Yang (born in 1955, 71 years old), Li Lanqing (born in 1932, 94 years old), Zeng Qinghong (born in 1939, 87 years old), Wu Guanzheng (born in 1938, 88 years old), Li Changchun (born in 1944, 82 years old), Luo Gan (born in 1935, 91 years old), He Guoqiang (born in 1943, 83 years old), Liu Yunshan (born in 1947, 79 years old), Wang Qishan (born in 1948, 78 years old), and Zhang Gaoli (born in 1946, 80 years old). Additionally, former Politburo Standing Committee member Han Zheng currently serves as the Vice President of the country and was born in April 1954, making him 72 years old.