Born in October 1928, a native of Changsha, Hunan Province, he joined the Communist Party of China in October 1949 and began to work in December 1948. He graduated from the Electrical Machinery Department of Qinghua University majoring in electrical engineering.

From 1947 to 1951, he studied at the Electrical Machinery Department of Qinghua University where he joined the New Democratic Youth Alliance.

From 1951 to 1952, he served as the deputy head of the Production Planning Office of the Planning Division of the Department of Industry of Northeast China.

From 1952 to 1958, he served successively as section chief at the Bureau of Fuel and Power Industry, Comprehensive Planning, deputy division chief of the Minister's Office, and Comprehensive Division of the Bureau of Machine-building of the State Planning Commission.

From 1958 to 1969, he was a teacher at a spare time school run by the State Planning Commission and an engineer at the Comprehensive Bureau of National Economy of the State Planning Commission.

From 1975 to 1979, he served as deputy director and deputy chief engineer of the Power and Communication Engineering Company under the Bureau of Pipeline Construction with the Ministry of Petroleum Industry, as a division chief of the Institute of Industrial Economics with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

From 1979 to 1982, he served as division chief at the Bureau of Fuel and Power Industry, deputy director of the Comprehensive Bureau.

From 1982 to 1983, he served as director of the Bureau of Technical Transformation with the State Economic Commission, and member of the Commission.

From 1983 to 1985, he served as Vice Minister and Member of the CPC Leading Group of the Commission.

From 1985 to 1987, he was Vice Minister and deputy secretary of the CPC Leading Group of the State Economic Commission.

From 1987 to 1991, he served as Deputy Secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, Mayor of Shanghai, and Secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee.

From 1991 to 1992, he served as Vice Premier of the State Council and Head of its Production Office and Secretary of the CPC Leading Group of the Office; and concurrently Head of the Economic and Trade Office under the State Council and Secretary of its CPC Leading Group.

From 1992 to 1993, he served as Vice Premier of the State Council and Head of the Economic and Trade Office under the State Council and Secretary of it CPC Leading Group.

From 1993 to 1995, he was Vice Premier of the State Council and concurrently Governor of the People's Bank of China (June 1993 to June 1995).

From 1995 to March 1998, he was Vice Premier of the State Council. He was appointed Premier of the State Council in March 1998.

Premier Zhu is alternate member of the thirteenth CPC central committee, member of the fifteenth CPC central committees, member of their political bureau and member of the standing committees of their political bureau.