前中国国务院总理朱鎔基于12日逝世[1]。他的去世在中国引发广泛追思，人们悼念的不仅是这位前领导人本身，更是怀念他所代表的那个时代[1]。当时中国对世界更加开放，官员敢于承认问题，社会上下对未来充满希望[1]。
纽约时报专栏作家袁莉撰文回顾了朱鎔基的重要言论[1]。朱鎔基曾在1998年公开质疑官方宣传方针，主张批评性报导的必要性，他问道："什麼叫以正面報導為主？難道99%都得是正面報導？我看51%不也行嗎？"[1]这些言论反映了那个时代相对宽松的舆论环境。朱鎔基在1998年至2003年江澤民主政期间出任总理[1]，其执政理念与当下中国日趋封闭、对异议容忍度极低的现状形成鲜明对比[1]。
Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji has passed away on August 12, prompting widespread public reflection on his legacy and the period he represented [1]. His death has sparked collective mourning among Chinese citizens, who are not only commemorating Zhu himself but also reminiscing about the era in which he served—a time when China was more open to the world, officials were willing to acknowledge problems publicly, and society looked toward the future with optimism [1].
New York Times columnist Lisa Yuan documented Zhu's 1998 remarks questioning China's official media guidelines, in which he advocated for the necessity of critical reporting [1]. "What does it mean to focus primarily on positive coverage? Does 99 percent have to be positive news? I think 51 percent would also work," Zhu stated at the time [1]. This contrasts sharply with contemporary China, where the country has become increasingly closed and shows minimal tolerance for dissent [1]. Zhu served as premier from 1998 to 2003 during Jiang Zemin's administration [1].