Li Keqiang, Xi Jinping’s last rival, dies
Premier until last spring, Li died of a heart attack at the age of 68, relatively young for Communist leaders. Conspiracy theories abound online, but above all regrets over his economic policy. He was close to former President Hu Jintao, who was removed in the last party congress. Meanwhile, in China's official media today, Li's death is less prominent than Xi's speeches.
Beijing (AsiaNews) – Chinese former Premier Li Keqiang has died of a heart attack at the age of 68; he had just retired this spring.
His sudden death at a relatively young age has sparked discussions since senior Communist Party officials tend to enjoy a long life and have a privileged access to the best medical services in the country.
Nevertheless, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s activity and speeches still top Chinese official media. On the website of the People’s Daily, the mouthpiece of the Communist Party, CCTV, the official TV channel, and Xinhua, China’s official news agency, the news of Li’s death appears in a less prominent position with a few lines. Li’s official obituary is expected later.
Under the leadership of Xi Jinping, Li was regarded as the weakest premier. After he came to power in 2013, Xi launched a series of changes in the central government that curtail the power of the premier’s office.
Comments online express doubts about Li’s sudden death at 68, which is a relatively young age for Chinese top leaders.
Premier Hu Yaobang died at the age of 74 in 1989 two years after Deng Xiaoping forced him to quit his post. His death triggered the pro-democracy movement that swept China that year.
Li was the last leader of the Tuanpai, the Youth League Faction within the Communist Party. The latter’s influence was eliminated by Xi Jinping over the past decade and all its members were excluded from the top decision-making Politburo at last year’s 20th Congress of the Communist Party of China.
Analysts believe that Li’s death will not have any impact since Xi faces no internal opposition.
Li was an ally of former President Hu Jintao. During the closing ceremony of the 20th Congress of the Communist Party, Hu was forced to quit the meeting, escorted by two staff members. Hu tapped Li’s shoulder before he left. Li responded by nodding.
Li was born in 1955 in Hefei, Anhui province. He enrolled in Peking University after the Cultural Revolution and his rise began in the Communist Youth League.
In 2007, he was promoted to the Politburo at the age of 52, touted as Hu’s successor. Instead, he replaced Wen Jiabao as premier in 2013, the second most important post in the government hierarchy.
After serving two terms, Li retired as expected while Xi Jinping stayed on as president.
Comments online tend to remember what he said. Li had pointed out that 600 million people in China had a monthly income of around a thousand yuan (US$ 135) in 2020, when Xi Jinping announced that poverty was eliminated.
Li presented his last government report at this year’s annual session of the National People’s Congress, emphasising economic stability with a 5 per cent growth target.
Li was widely seen as a more liberal politician with a better knowledge of economics. His approach – empowering markets, reducing debt, and structural reforms, was dubbed “Likonomics”.
He also paid attention to Internet companies and entrepreneurship. However, as Xi seized more power, Li’s room for manoeuvre was chipped away. Xi seemingly did not agree with Li’s economic policies.
During the Covid pandemic, Li promoted the “stall economy” to alleviate the impact of the lockdown on the economy, focusing on employment.
Former Shanghai party boss Li Qiang, who insisted on a zero-Covid policy with catastrophic consequences, replaced his alter predecessor last spring.
Ultimately, Li Keqiang owed his power to previous leaders. The current premier, Li Qiang, has even weaker power, and his rise depends totally on Xi.
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