Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) shakes hands with a relative of late Chinese Vice Premier Huang Ju during Huang's funeral in Beijing, capital of China, June 5, 2007. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)
 

Former Chinese President Jiang Zemin (R) shakes hands with a relative of late Chinese Vice Premier Huang Ju during Huang's funeral in Beijing, capital of China, June 5, 2007. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

Late Chinese Vice Premier Huang Ju's remains were cremated in Beijing on Tuesday.

Huang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, died of illness at 02:03 a.m. June 2 in Beijing at the age of 69.

Top leaders Hu Jintao, Jiang Zemin, Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Zeng Qinghong, Wu Guanzheng, Li Changchun and Luo Gan paid their final respects and bid farewell to Huang Tuesday morning at the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery.

Wearing traditional white paper flower and black armbands, they walked slowly into an auditorium at the cemetery, bowed three times before the dead body, and expressed their deep condolences and sympathy to Yu Huiwen, Huang's wife, and other family members .

The auditorium was decorated with a photo of Huang, above which hung a black streamer with characters written in white reading "In remembrance of Comrade Huang Ju". Huang, covered with a CPC flag, lay in state amid fresh flowers and green cypress branches.

Top CPC and government officials including Hu Jintao, Jiang Zemin, Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Zeng Qinghong, Wu Guanzheng, Li Changchun and Luo Gan had either visited Huang in hospital when he was seriously ill or expressed their deep condolences over his death and sympathy to Huang's family members by other means.

High-ranking officials of the party, the government and the military, friends and people from Huang's hometown were also present at the auditorium to bid farewell to the CPC leader.

An obituary issued earlier by the central authorities called Huang "an excellent member of the CPC, a long-tested and faithful Communist fighter and an outstanding leader of the Party and the state."

In a statement issued by the CPC's Central Committee on Tuesday, Huang was deemed "an important member of CPC leadership with Comrade Hu Jintao as General Secretary of the Central Committee."

"He has devoted all his wisdom and energy to the development of the Party and the country," the statement said.

During Huang's tenure as head of Shanghai, said the statement, "Huang put forward reform plans that were well suited to Shanghai, which led to considerable progress in the city's economic strength, cultural influence, environment and management system."

"He has made a key contribution in building the city into a world economic, financial, trade and shipping hub."

It also said that Huang had given permission for his remains to be used for medical research.

Huang, born in September 1938, was a native of Jiashan, Zhejiang Province. He joined the CPC in March 1966 and graduated from the Electrical Engineering Department of Qinghua University.

From 1995 to 2002, he served as member of the CPC Central Committee's Political Bureau and secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee.

In November 2002, he was elected member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee at the first plenary session of the 16th CPC Central Committee.

Huang was appointed as vice-premier of the State Council, at the 7th plenary meeting of the First Session of the 10th National People's Congress in March 2003.

From 1963 to 1982, Huang worked in the Shanghai Artificial-Board Machinery Factory, Shanghai Zhonghua Metallurgical Factory and Shanghai Petrochemical General Machine-Building Company. In this period, he was promoted from a technician to engineer and vice manager.

He served as deputy director of the Shanghai No. 1 Bureau of Mechanical and Electrical Industry between 1982 and 1983.

From 1983 to 1984, he served as member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and secretary of the Municipal Industrial Work Party Committee.

From 1984 to 1985, he served as Standing Committee member of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and concurrently as secretary-general of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee.

Between 1985 and 1986 he was deputy secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee. From 1986 to 1991, he served concurrently as vice mayor of Shanghai, and he served as mayor of Shanghai concurrently from 1991 to 1994. Between 1994 and 1995 he served as member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and Shanghai mayor.

Editor: Yan