Li Keqiang (李克强) has passed away. It is the news that is trending on Chinese social media today after it was confirmed on October 27 that the former Premier of the People’s Republic of China succumbed to a sudden heart attack.
State media reported that despite “all-out efforts” to revive him (“经全力抢救无效”), Li passed away in Shanghai just past midnight at 00:10 on Friday. He was 68 years old.
Post by China Newsweek magazine about Li Keqiang’s death, which had received over 412,000 comments and more than 1,4 million likes by Friday afternoon.
Appointed to the Standing Committee of the Politburo at the October 2007 National Party Congress, Li was among China’s “fifth” generation of leaders. He assumed the post of premier in 2013. He had previously served as the Party chief of both Henan and Liaoning provinces. His earlier experiences included work in the Chinese Communist Youth League (Sullivan 2012, 157).
During the 20th Party Congress in October 2022, when China’s new leadership for the next five years was revealed, it raised eyebrows that Li Keqiang was not included on the official name list (link). Li was the second-ranked member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Party from 2012 to 2022.
Image posted by Weibo account @豫记.
His seemingly premature retirement sparked discussions at the time, although mostly in the English-language social media sphere since his name came up with zero results on China’s Weibo at that time.
Li was notably seated next to Chinese leader Xi Jinping when former Chinese leader Hu Jintao (胡锦涛) was escorted out of the Party Congress, a moment that drew attention in foreign media (link).
By Friday afternoon China time, the topic “Comrade Li Keqiang Passed Away” (#李克强同志逝世#) had garnered over 1.8 billion clicks on Weibo and was also top trending on Douyin.
“It is so sudden,” some popular comments said: “It’s hard to believe it’s real.”
Li Keqiang photos by Caixin.
Other bloggers have been sharing video moments that highlight Li’s compassionate side, while also praising his efforts to combat human trafficking.
In 2022, when the case of the Xuzhou chained woman gained national attention, Premier Li Keqiang condemned the gross violation of women’s rights in certain Chinese regions and urged for stronger punishment for human traffickers.
Meanwhile, condolences are pouring in on Chinese social media, with many coming from various foreign embassies that are active on Weibo.
The Embassy of Japan in China, for example, praised the role played by Li Keqiang in the relations between China and Japan, recalling his 2018 visit to Japan. The Swiss Embassy also expressed their condolences to Li’s loved ones, commemorating Li’s first visit to Switzerland after taking office as Premier.
By Manya Koetse
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References
Sullivan, Lawrence R. 2012. Historical Dictionary of the Chinese Communist Party. Lanham: The Scarecrow Press. See page: 3-43, 208.
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