Ex-Chinese premier who backed Tiananmen protesters dies at 85

ZHAO Ziyang, the former Communist Party leader who helped launch China's economic boom but was ousted after sympathising with the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protesters, died earlier yesterday in a Beijing hospital. He was 85.

The cause of death wasn't immediately announced but the official Xinhua News Agency said Mr Zhao suffered from multiple ailments of the respiratory and cardiovascular system and died "after failing to respond to all emergency treatment."

"He was very peaceful," said Frank Lu, a Hong Kong-based Chinese human rights activist who said he had spoken to Zhao's daughter Wang Yannan. "He was surrounded by all his family."