Former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang died today of a heart attack at the age of 68, they said average state ownership.
Li, who served as prime minister between 2012 and March this year, suffered a heart attack on Thursday and “despite all efforts to save him, he died at 12:10 am on October 27 (5:10 pm on Thursday in Lisbon),” broadcaster CCTV reported.
No details have been released yet about the politician’s funeral and burial.
On March 11, Li Keqiang was replaced by Li Qiang at the annual plenary session of the National People’s Congress (NPC), at the proposal of President Xi Jinping, who had just been elected to a third term. tradition according to which his predecessors resign after ten years.
An economist by training, with knowledge of the English language and belonging to the more liberal wing of the government, Li was a staunch supporter of economic reform, although his plans in this area were hampered by the growing authority of Xi Jinping.
His term was marked by a dramatic change in power in China, from a consensus-based regime associated with former President Hu Jintao and his predecessors to the omnipotence of Xi.
The years that he was in power still saw heavy upheavals a trade war with the United States, growing debt and the Covid-19 pandemic, which kept the country closed for almost three yearswith a huge impact on the world’s second largest economy.
Born in 1955 in the eastern province of Anhui, Li joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 1976 and rose through the ranks of the communist youth to become China’s youngest governor in 1998 and lead the central Henan province.
After serving as head of the CCP in Henan and Liaoning (northeast) provinces, Li became a member of the Party Standing Committee in 2007 and, just a year later, was promoted to vice premier by then Chinese number two Wen Jiabao.
The 18th Congress of the Communist Party of China approved a new Central Committee in November 2012, which included Li Keqiang, who was appointed Prime Minister by the NPC four months later, replacing Wen.
Source: DN
