Zhu Rongji, who served as China's premier from 1998 to 2003, died of illness in Beijing at around 11 a.m. on Wednesday according to multiple reports. His tenure coincided with China's entry into the World Trade Organization in 2002 and sustained economic growth above 8 percent annually from 2000 to 2010. Reports differ on his age at death, with some stating 98 and others 97.