Zhu Rongji funeral attended by Xi Jinping in Beijing

Former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji was mourned in Beijing on Tuesday as President Xi Jinping and other senior Communist Party leaders attended a farewell gathering before his cremation, state broadcaster CCTV said.

Zhu, a major figure in China's economic restructuring, died last week at 97. Flags were lowered at government buildings across Beijing and on Tiananmen Square, AFP journalists saw.

CCTV said Zhu's remains were cremated at Beijing's Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery. It said Xi, Premier Li Qiang and other top leaders walked to Zhu's remains, stood in silence, bowed three times and offered condolences to his family.

Online, the Tiananmen tribute was the top trending topic on Chinese microblogging site Weibo.

Zhu was born in 1928 in central China and rose through the Communist Party after the 1949 revolution led by Mao Zedong. His roles included mayor of Shanghai, national vice premier and premier.

He served a five-year premiership starting in 1998, during the presidency of Jiang Zemin. Zhu became known for an anti-corruption drive, the dismantling of inefficient state-owned firms and China's integration with the global economy.

State news agency Xinhua praised Zhu after his death as “an outstanding proletarian revolutionist” and statesman.