In a somber announcement by Chinese state media, it has been confirmed that China’s former premier, Li Keqiang, passed away suddenly at the age of 68. The cause of his untimely demise was a heart attack, which occurred in Shanghai in the early hours of Friday, according to China’s Xinhua news agency.
The official statement from China Central Television (CCTV) reported, “Comrade Li Keqiang, while resting in Shanghai in recent days, experienced a sudden heart attack on Oct 26 and after all-out efforts to revive him failed, died in Shanghai at ten minutes past midnight on Oct 27.”
Li Keqiang, who had served as China’s second-highest leader for a decade, from 2013 until his replacement by Li Qiang in March, left behind a complex legacy. He was celebrated as an advocate for a more open market and the welfare of China’s less privileged citizens. However, he also symbolized the political alternative marginalized during the authoritative ascent of Xi Jinping.
During his tenure, Li was a vocal proponent of market liberalization, affirming, “No matter how the international winds and clouds change, China will unswervingly expand its opening up.” His dedication to socioeconomic improvement, particularly for the underprivileged, was evident in his public statements.
In an intriguing development, reports indicate that some social media users have encountered restrictions when trying to share footage of Li Keqiang’s statements. This could be interpreted as a sign of cautious handling by authorities who have historically used mourning events for former leaders as a platform for expressing dissent with the current regime.
On Weibo, China’s equivalent of Twitter, the news of Li’s passing quickly became the top trending topic. While many expressed shock and sorrow, comments on posts, primarily from official news and government accounts, appeared to be controlled and limited, with only a select few visible.
Li Keqiang was widely regarded as a popular figure among both the Chinese populace and officials, even after his removal from the position of premier. He was Hu Jintao’s favored successor as president but was passed over when Xi Jinping was chosen in 2012. Li and Hu were affiliated with Xi’s rival faction within the Chinese Communist Party, which has seen a reduction in influence as Xi consolidated his authority and appointed his allies to key positions.
Li’s life journey began as the son of a local official in Anhui, one of China’s more impoverished provinces. During the Cultural Revolution, he was sent to work as a manual laborer in the countryside but later pursued a law degree at Peking University. Despite an early affinity for Western and liberal political thought, he gravitated towards more orthodox views as he entered the realm of officialdom in the 1980s.
Li’s career in politics involved various roles, including becoming the governor of Henan, where he had to contend with an HIV/AIDS epidemic stemming from a tainted blood donation program, causing damage to his reputation. Despite this setback, he continued to rise through the ranks, ultimately serving as vice-premier under former premier Wen Jiabao from 2008 to 2013, with responsibilities for economic development and macroeconomic management.
Internationally, Li Keqiang was known for the “Li Keqiang index,” an informal measure of China’s economic progress based on his statement about the unreliability of GDP figures. He suggested that a clearer picture could be gleaned from data related to electricity consumption, rail cargo, and bank lending.
Li’s legacy is likely to be a mixed one. While he is remembered for advocating for the welfare of the less fortunate, he also stood as a symbol of what could have been in terms of economic reform. His time as premier coincided with a shift away from reform and opening under the leadership of Xi Jinping.
As Li’s tenure concluded, he renewed calls for economic reform, but videos of his interactions with various departments were subsequently censored on Chinese social media. His passing marks the end of an era and raises questions about the future direction of China’s political and economic landscape.
This unexpected turn of events has cast a somber mood over China, and the nation mourns the loss of a leader who, despite his complexities, was a prominent figure in the country’s recent history.
