Former finance minister dies after house fire, media says

Former Chinese Finance Minister Jin Renqing died today after a fire at his home in Beijing, The Beijing Times has reported. He was 77.

The fire, which started on a balcony at Jin's house at 11:47pm yesterday, was put out at 0:17am today. Jin was rescued and sent to Fuxing Hospital, but later died from the injuries sustained in the blaze.

Jin was born in July 1944 in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province.

He graduated from the Central University of Finance and Economics in Beijing in 1966.

He was deputy mayor of Beijing, the Director of the State Administration of Taxation, the Minister of Finance, and the Deputy Director of the Development Research Center of the State Council.