China's customs chief and trade veteran dies of sudden illness

12/12/2024 16:22

China's customs chief Yu Jianhua, a top trade negotiator who navigated the country through the trade war during Donald Trump's previous presidential term, died of an undisclosed sudden illness on Tuesday.



The 63-year-old abruptly fell ill on Tuesday and emergency rescue efforts failed to save him, the General Administration of Customs said in a statement late Wednesday. No details about his illness were given.



Yu had attended a few engagements this month, including a meeting with senior Chinese officials from the northeastern province of Jilin in Beijing on the day he died, according to Hong Kong media reports.



A statement on the meeting on the website of the Jilin provincial government has since been removed.



Yu's last public appearance, according to the customs website, was a Dec. 3 meeting with Chilean Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren on the signing of agricultural trade agreements.



Yu had been the director of the General Administration of Customs since April 2022.