Li Keqiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 17th, 18th, and 19th Central Committees of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and who served as Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China for two terms, from March 2013-March 2023, died of a sudden heart attack at 00.10 on Friday October 27 in Shanghai. He was aged 68.
In an official obituary, Comrade Li was extolled as an excellent CPC member, a time-tested and loyal communist soldier and an outstanding proletarian revolutionary, statesman and leader of the Party and state.
The obituary traced his career from serving as an educated youth on a commune in his native Anhui province from March 1974 and becoming a CPC member in May 1976.
Li Keqiang went on to play leading roles in student and youth work, before taking up leading posts in Henan province, where he put forward the goal of realising the rise of central China. Subsequently, while leading the work in Liaoning province, he championed the revitalisation of the old industrial bases in northeast China.
Surveying his leadership of the country’s economic work during the time he served as Premier, the obituary notes that:
“Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, confronting multiple challenges including fast-changing international situations, the COVID-19 epidemic and downward pressure in the domestic economy, Li followed the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, fully and faithfully applied the new development philosophy on all fronts, worked to create a new pattern of development, promoted high-quality development, and balanced development and security imperatives.”
It adds:
“While serving as the premier, Li also served as head of the State Council’s leading group for revitalising old industrial bases in the northeast and other regions, head of the State Council’s leading group for the development of the western region, head of the country’s leading group for education, science and technology, and head of the country’s leading group for addressing climate change and energy conservation and emission reduction.
“Following the COVID-19 outbreak, Li assumed the post of head of the central leading group for COVID-19 response and helped secure tremendously encouraging achievements in both epidemic response and economic and social development.
“Always bearing China’s realities in mind, Li had been upholding and improving the country’s basic socialist economic systems, and promoting economic reforms.”
It notes that: “To improve the people’s well-being, Li devoted efforts to address prominent issues in employment, education, housing, healthcare, and elderly care.“In March 2023, Li no longer served as the premier. After retiring from the leadership post, Li continued to firmly uphold the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, care for advancing the cause of the Party and the country, and firmly uphold the Party’s efforts to improve conduct, build integrity, and combat corruption.
“Li’s life was a revolutionary, hard-working and glorious one, and one that was dedicated to wholeheartedly serving the people and the communist cause, says the obituary notice, adding that his death is a great loss to the Party and the state.”
The following article was originally published by the Xinhua News Agency.
Li Keqiang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 17th, 18th and 19th Communist Party of China (CPC) central committees and former premier of the State Council, passed away on Friday in Shanghai. He was 68.
Li died of a sudden heart attack at 00:10 on Friday after all-out rescue efforts failed, according to an official obituary notice issued on Friday.
Li was extolled as an excellent CPC member, a time-tested and loyal communist soldier and an outstanding proletarian revolutionist, statesman and leader of the Party and the state.
The obituary notice was jointly issued by the CPC Central Committee, the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, the State Council and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
Born in July 1955, Li was from Dingyuan, east China’s Anhui Province. In March 1974, he went to Dongling Brigade, Damiao Commune, Fengyang County of Anhui as an educated youth.
He became a CPC member in May 1976.
Between November 1976 and March 1978, Li served as the Party chief of Damiao Brigade.
Li went to study at the Department of Law at Peking University between March 1978 and February 1982. He once served as the head of the Students’ Union of the university.
Since February 1982, Li had successively served as secretary of the Peking University Committee of the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC), a member of the Standing Committee of the CYLC Central Committee, director of the School Department of the CYLC Central Committee and secretary-general of the All-China Students’ Federation, an alternate member of the Secretariat of the CYLC Central Committee, a member of the Secretariat of the CYLC Central Committee and vice chairman of the All-China Youth Federation, and the head of the National Working Committee of the Chinese Young Pioneers.
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