Farewell to a revolutionary

Bo Yibo, a veteran Communist Party of China (CPC) revolutionary who served in several key posts including vice-premier, was cremated in Beijing yesterday.

Bo died of illness last Monday in Beijing at the age of 99.

President Hu Jintao, former president Jiang Zemin and senior Party and government leaders Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Zeng Qinghong, Wu Guanzheng, Li Changchun and Luo Gan attended the farewell ceremony.

An official obituary described Bo as an outstanding CPC member, a great Communist warrior, a distinguished proletarian revolutionary and a prominent leader in the Party's economic work.

Born in North China's Shanxi Province in 1908, Bo joined the CPC at the age of 17.

He was a member of the 7th, 8th and 11th CPC Central Committees, alternate member of the Political Bureau of the 8th CPC Central Committee, vice-premier of the State Council, and also deputy head of the former CPC Central Advisory Commission.

Bo played a prominent role in China's economic endeavors for decades. He also played an important role in the reform of the CPC's cadre system during his 10-year tenure as the deputy director of the former CPC Central Advisory Commission, which was set up in 1982 and was headed by Deng Xiaoping.

In this position, Bo made an important contribution to the abolishment of the life-long tenure of senior leaders and the transition of the Party's leadership to the younger generation.

source:China Daily/Xinhua