Zhao Ziyang, who pioneered bold market reforms in China, but was ousted as the chief of the ruling Communist Party for opposing the violent 1989 military crackdown on pro-democracy protests at Tiananmen Square, was cremated in Beijing [Images] on Saturday without the customary state honours.

"Comrade Zhao Ziyang was cremated at the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery in western Beijing Saturday morning," the official Xinhua news agency said in a brief three paragraph report.

Contrary to expectations, the Communist Party deputed its No. 4 leader Jia Qinglin as its representative at the simple but solemn funeral of Zhao.

"On behalf of the leaders of the central authorities, Jia Qinglin and other senior officials were at the cemetery to bid farewell to the remains of Comrade Zhao and expressed condolences to his family," the report said.

The Chinese government had earlier clarified that the funeral would only be a "ceremony for bidding the body farewell" - a lower-status event than a state funeral.

While police remained vigilant against any protests, part of the cemetery, where senior party cadres are buried, was closed to the public on Friday and guarded by police.

Pro-democracy activists were not allowed to be part of the ceremony. The authorities had 'selected' a guest list to prevent any untoward incident.                                                                                                             

The huge foreign media contingent in Beijing was not allowed to cover the funeral of Zhao, who was purged for challenging a decision by then paramount leader Deng Xiaoping to send in troops to crush the student-led protests on June 3-4, 1989 in which hundreds were reportedly killed.

The funeral was held on a day when world attention is focused on the first non-stop flights in 55 years between China and its arch-rival, Taiwan.

Zhao's family and the party had been deadlocked since he died at the age of 85 here at a hospital on January 17 after prolonged illness. He spent nearly 16 years under house arrest for opposing the army crackdown.

Zhao, an articulate protege of late supreme leader Deng Xiaoping who helped China forge bold economic reforms in the 1980s and brought the communist country new prosperity and opened its doors for the outside world, was admired by a vast majority of Chinese people.

Born in the central Chinese province of Henan in 1919, the son of a wealthy landlord, Zhao joined the Communist Youth League in 1932. He was picked by Zhou Enlai in 1973 to govern China's largest province Sichuan.

Zhou was inducted in the politburo as an alternate member in 1977 and as a full member in 1979. After six months as vice premier, Zhao was appointed prime minister in 1980 and later assumed the post of Communist Party general secretary.

When he visited the protesting students at Tiananmen Square and showed sympathy for their cause, his political downfall was sealed and within three weeks, he was ousted from all government posts.

China's state-run media has generally ignored Zhao's death and it remains to be seen whether they will cover the funeral.