In less than a month, between mid-February and mid-March, at least three senior executives of state-owned enterprises and four senior provincial-level officials died of the illness in China.
Ren Chuanjun, a former Party Committee member and deputy general manager of the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), died of illness on March 10 at the age of 79. As deputy general manager of a large state-owned enterprise, his official rank is vice minister.
Mr. Ren also served as vice president of China National Textile Association, vice chairman of CNPC, and external director of Central Enterprises, which was assigned by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC).
Mr. Ren has been appointed as an adjunct professor at Nanjing University, China Textile University, and Wuhan University of Science and Technology. He was also a guest speaker at training courses for leaders of state-owned key enterprises.
Liu Benren, former chairman of Metallurgical Corporation of China Limited, former general manager, and deputy party chief of Wuhan Iron and Steel Corporation (WISCO), passed away on March 4 due to illness.
Born in November 1942, Mr. Liu graduated from Wuhan Iron and Steel Institute in 1965. He has held leadership positions such as director of WISCO’s Hot Rolling Mill, deputy chief engineer of WISCO, and deputy general manager of Wuhan Iron and Steel Group. He also served as chairman of the board of directors of Metallurgical Science and Technology Corporation of China.
Zeng Maozhao, a computer expert and former chairman of Lenovo Holdings Limited, passed away on March 4 due to illness.
Born in 1932, Mr. Zeng was the director of the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences from 1983 to 1995 and the party chief of the Institute from 1984 to 1986. He also served as the deputy head of the Electronic Computer Advisory Group of the Electronic Revitalization Leadership Team of the State Council and as the executive vice president of the Chinese Computer Society.
According to the official obituary, Mr. Zeng is a leading figure in China’s computer magnetic recording industry. He worked on and directed the R&D of external devices and control systems for several large and medium-sized computers. In 1984, the authorities honored him as a ‘National Outstanding Contribution Young and Middle-aged Expert,’ one of the first to receive this honor.
Wang Lusheng, a member of the Democratic Construction of China (DCC) and former vice chairman of the Guizhou Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), passed away on Feb. 28 due to illness.
Born in December 1936, Mr. Wang was a deputy to the 7th and 8th National People’s Congresses of CCP and a member of the 9th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
Li Shuzheng, former minister of the Foreign Liaison Department of the CCP Central Committee, died on Feb. 27 in Beijing due to illness.
Ms. Li joined the CCP in 1945 and worked for the CCP’s student movement in Shanghai. From January 1951 to March 1952, she studied at the Central Youth League School of the Soviet Union in Moscow. After returning to China, she served as minister in charge of juniors and director of the Foreign Liaison Department of the Central Committee of the CCP. Since August 1998, she has been the President of the China-North Korea Friendship Association.
Dorje jam dpal blo bzang was the former Vice Chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region’s Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), a political advisory body to the Chinese Communist regime, passed away due to illness on the evening of Feb. 26, in Lhasa, Tibet.
Born in 1937, Mr. Dorje held various positions after 1956, including Vice President of a branch of the Tibet Buddhist Association, Standing Director of the Buddhist Association of China, Vice President of the Buddhist Association of China, Deputy Director of the Autonomous Region’s Religious Affairs Bureau, and Vice Chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region CPPCC.
Zhu Ze, former president and Party chief of the Jiangsu High Court, died on Feb. 13 in Nanjing due to illness.
Born in May 1924, Mr. Zhu was a veteran of the CCP’s New Fourth Army and a painter. He was admitted to the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts at the age of 17 and joined the New Four Army the following year. As a painter, he has created many red communist works, some of which are kept in museums that showcase the CCP’s history in China.
