Zhu Rongji was born in China's Hunan province in 1928. His ancestors were once wealthy land-owners, but the death of his father before he was born reduced his mother to poverty.

However, he won a scholarship to Qinghua University. After graduating in 1951, he worked in the State Planning Commission. When he criticised Mao's "irrational high growth" policies, he was labelled a "rightist" and in 1958 was sent to work as a teacher. But he was rehabilitated in 1962 and worked as an engineer at the National Economy Bureau of the State Planning Commission.

During the Cultural Revolution in 1970 he was purged once again for criticising Mao's economic policies and underwent "rehabilitation" until 1975. He was rehabilitated politically by the former leader, Deng Xiaoping, in 1978 and welcomed into the ruling elite.

For most of the 1980s he held posts in state organisations and in 1987 was became mayor of Shanghai, where many Chinese leaders develop their political careers.

He returned to Beijing in 1979 and served as vice-premier, focusing on economic issues. He is seen as the foremost architect of China's current economic reforms.

He orchestrated the soft landing of China's overheated economy in the mid-1990s through the devaluation of the currency, tax reform, interest-rate cuts and lowering of inflation while maintaining a steady growth rate.

He succeeded Li Peng as Premier in March 1998.