The Madman Who Built Modern China | Texas News

Madman Zhu, the iron-willed architect of China’s economic revolution, has died at 97 — a titan who bulldozed corruption, shattered state monopolies, and steered China into the WTO, turning it from an industrial giant into the world’s second-largest economy. Known for his blunt honesty and willingness to sacrifice millions of jobs for efficiency, he once joked he’d prepared 99 coffins for corrupt officials — and one for himself. A technocrat, not a radical, he modernized housing, restructured industries, and faced down party conservatives — all while earning a cult following for his no-nonsense style. His legacy? The China we know today — global, powerful, and forged in relentless reform. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/e2bd4048fe220ab2