On the second day after the passing of former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, Ma Zhongzhi, a former deputy-ministerial-level official from the State Council, also passed away on August 13, 2026. During Zhu Rongji’s tenure as Executive Vice Premier and head of the State Council Securities Commission, Ma Zhongzhi was responsible for establishing the office of the State Council Securities Commission and later served as its director, acting as Zhu Rongji’s chief steward for nearly three years.
In the period surrounding Zhu Rongji’s death, from August 1 to 13, 2026, within less than two weeks, at least six provincial and ministerial-level officials had passed away, including prominent figures like former Guangdong Governor Zhu Senlin.
On August 13, 2026, the office of the China Securities Regulatory Commission released an obituary announcing the passing of Ma Zhongzhi, a former party committee member of the China Securities Regulatory Commission and former chairman of key state-owned enterprises. He passed away in Beijing on August 13, 2026, at the age of 82.
The day before Ma Zhongzhi’s demise, on August 12, 2026, former Politburo Standing Committee member and Premier of the State Council Zhu Rongji passed away at the age of 98. Ma Zhongzhi had served as a subordinate in the State Council Securities Commission system under Zhu Rongji.
According to his public resume, Ma Zhongzhi was born on January 15, 1944, in Shenyang, Liaoning Province. He began working in the banking sector in 1964 and held various positions before his time in the China Securities Regulatory Commission system.
Zhu Rongji, on the other hand, was appointed as Vice Premier of the State Council, in charge of economic and financial matters, in April 1991, before being promoted to Executive Vice Premier following the 14th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in October 1992. He also concurrently served as chairman of the State Council Securities Commission from October 1992 to June 1995 and as Governor of the People’s Bank of China from July 1993 to June 1995.
During his service, Ma Zhongzhi was involved in various roles in the China Securities Regulatory Commission system and the China People’s Bank, gradually climbing the ranks and eventually becoming a key figure under Zhu Rongji.
After succeeding Li Peng as Premier of the State Council in March 1998, Zhu Rongji initiated the State Council inspection envoy system and held training courses for inspection envoys, attending the opening and closing ceremonies of the first and second sessions. Ma Zhongzhi was appointed as a State Council inspection envoy in November 1998 before transitioning to the chairman of key state-owned enterprises in June 2000 and retiring in June 2007.
In publicly reported incidents, including Ma Zhongzhi, since August 1 to August 13, 2026, at least six provincial and ministerial-level officials have passed away.
On August 1, 2026, Wu Mindai, former Deputy Secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee, Deputy Governor, and Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Provincial People’s Congress, passed away in Hangzhou at the age of 98.
On August 2, 2026, He Guomu, former member of the Tianjin Municipal Committee, Director of the Municipal Education and Health Committee, and Vice Chairman of the Political Consultative Conference, passed away in Tianjin at the age of 98.
On August 10, 2026, Zhu Senlin, former Deputy Secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee, Governor, and Director of the Standing Committee of the Provincial People’s Congress, passed away in Guangzhou at the age of 96.
On the same day, Wang Zhan, former Deputy Minister of Education of the CPC, and Deputy Governor of Jiangsu Province, passed away in Nanjing at the age of 80.
Also on August 13, 2026, Li Fashen, former President of Lanzhou University, expert in magnetism and magnetic materials, and professor at the College of Physical Science and Technology of Lanzhou University, passed away in Lanzhou at the age of 86. Li Fashen had served as President of Lanzhou University from March 1993 to May 2006, during which the university was designated as a ‘directly managed university’ in December 2003.
Additionally, Li Yongjin, a Communist Party member, retired deputy military district official, former deputy commander of the Beijing Military Region, and commander of the Beijing Military Region Air Force, passed away in Beijing on August 6, 2026, at the age of 84, after unsuccessful medical treatment.