Li Keqiang, the former premier of China, died with a
sudden heart attack on Friday, reported China based news agency Xinhua.
According to Xinhua, Li Keqiang, member of the
Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 17th, 18th and 19th Communist
Party of China central committees and former Premier, passed away at 68 in
Shanghai on Friday.
Li Keqiang, the former premier of China, has died of a
heart attack, less than a year after stepping down from his post as the country’s
second-highest-ranking leader.
Once seen as a potential top leader, Li was
deliberately kept out of the limelight for years so as not to outshine Jinping.
At the same time, Xi accumulated increasingly more powers.
Many say Li Keqiang entered the Communist Party with
an ambition to contribute towards his country but was stifled by its rigid
red-tapism.
His exit has put a question mark on the future of the
country’s private sector as well as the wider economic reforms that he was
championing, reported Singapore Post.
Experts believe that Li Keqiang might be the last
premier of his type, whose economics-focused approach towards governance
contrasted with Xi Jinping’s ideological tone and authoritarian tendencies.
Li had already exited the ruling Communist Party’s
all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee last October, even though he was yet
to reach retirement age, reported Singapore Post.
“Heaven is looking at what humans are doing. The
firmament his eyes.” This is what Li had to say while bidding farewell to 800
or so senior government officials.
Experts believe it was possible for Li Keqiang to stop
Xi Jinping from “subverting” the spirit of the “reform and opening” policy
launched in 1978, but he showed little courage, reported Singapore Post.
Li’s replacement, Li Qiang, is considered a Xi crony,
best known for his ruthless imposition of months-long Covid lockdown in
Shanghai.
ANI
