This article may be a rough translation from Chinese. It may have been generated, in whole or in part, by a computer or by a translator without dual proficiency.(September 2024) |
| Li Keqiang in January 2023 | |
| Date | 27 October – 2 November 2023 |
|---|---|
| Location | |
Li Keqiang, former Premier of the People's Republic of China and member of the 17th, 18th, and 19th Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China, died on 27 October 2023 at 00:10 CST in Shanghai, aged 68. [1]
Li Keqiang became the youngest Premier at the time of leaving office and the earliest to pass away among all Premiers since the founding of the People's Republic of China. [2]
After the first plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in October 2022, Li resigned from his party roles, including his membership of the Politburo Standing Committee. Following the first session of the 14th National People's Congress, he also stepped down as Premier, retiring from public office at the age of 67.
After his official retirement, Li maintained a low profile, did not participate in official affairs, and rarely appeared in public. On 30 August 2023, Li visited the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, Gansu; this was his final public appearance. [3]
According to the 2010 biography He Will Be China's Chief Steward: A Biography of Li Keqiang, Li suffered from severe myocarditis during his time at Peking University due to overexertion. He frequently experienced shortness of breath during physically strenuous activities. [4]
Reports also indicated that Li had diabetes, which was further exacerbated by his demanding domestic and diplomatic work. [5] Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases caused by atherosclerosis is a common complication and leading cause of death among diabetes patients. [6]
The South China Morning Post reported that Li Keqiang had previously had heart bypass surgery. [7]
Li suffered a sudden heart attack while swimming at the Shanghai Dongjiao Hotel on 26 October 2023. [7] He was accompanied by his wife Cheng Hong. [8] It was reported that the heart attack occurred around noon on 26 October. Li Keqiang was rushed to the Shanghai Shuguang Hospital (East Campus) [9] by security and medical personnel after the incident. All available resources were mobilized, [10] including top experts from Shanghai and the installation of an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) device that afternoon. Despite emergency rescue efforts lasting over 10 hours, medical teams were unable to save him. Li died at 12:10 a.m. the next day.
At 8:00 a.m. on 27 October, China Central Television's program "Morning News" aired a brief announcement of the death of Li Keqiang, delivered by the host Wang Yan. [11] Subsequently, official media outlets, such as Xinhua News Agency and the China Central Television (CCTV) website, published identical official statements. [12] [13] Around 6:30 p.m., Xinhua News issued a formal condolence statement on behalf of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the State Council, and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. The statement referenced key political concepts, including the "Two Establishes," "Two Upholds," "Four Consciousnesses," and "Four Confidences." [14] Later, at 7:00 p.m., the national news program Xinwen Lianbo positioned the announcement of condolences as the third news item, following coverage of activities involving current national leaders, including General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. This arrangement mirrored the reporting style used for the announcement of former Premier Li Peng's death in 2019. [15]
On the afternoon of 27 October, Li Keqiang's remains were transferred to Beijing from Shanghai aboard a special flight. Some roads were temporarily closed in Shanghai, with people along the route mourning. [16] [9] Upon arrival in Beijing, Li's remains was transferred to the PLA General Hospital in preparation for national mourning and funeral arrangements. [17]
On 2 November, national flags were flown at half-mast at Tiananmen Square, Xinhua Gate, the Great Hall of the People, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; at the headquarters of Party committees and governments of all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government; in the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macao; at all land border crossings, maritime ports, and airports; as well as at all Chinese embassies and consulates abroad.
Li Keqiang's remains were transported to the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery by a Nissan Civilian hearse. Around 10:00 a.m., a farewell ceremony was held in the cemetery's main funeral hall, attended by current and former national leaders. Along the route from the PLA General Hospital to Babaoshan, mourners gathered to pay their respects as the hearse passed.
In the early hours of the same day, areas surrounding Tiananmen Square were restricted to pedestrians and vehicles, with most of the entrances to the square temporarily closed. Despite the restrictions, some people took alternate routes into the square to witness the lowering of the national flag to half-mast following the morning flag-raising ceremony. [18]
On the morning of 2 November, the remains of Li Keqiang were cremated at Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery. General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, attended the farewell ceremony at the cemetery along with members of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee Li Qiang—Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi—as well as Vice President Han Zheng. Former CCP General Secretary Hu Jintao sent a wreath to express his condolences. [19]
In the official news footage, Li Keqiang's daughter was not seen. Li's brother, Li Keming, was seated in the rear row of the family section, alongside Li's widow, Cheng Hong. Li Xiaopeng, the Minister of Transport and son of former Premier Li Peng, attended the ceremony as a representative of a department under the State Council. Other attendees included individuals described as "close friends" of Li Keqiang during his lifetime. [20] [21]
On the afternoon of 2 November, Xinhua News Agency released a biography of Li Keqiang along with 12 photos highlighting significant moments of his life. [22] [23]
After the announcement of Li Keqiang's death, a large number of people spontaneously gathered at Li Keqiang's former residence in Luyang District, Hefei, Anhui Province, and at 80 Huizhou Avenue, which now serves as the Anhui Institute of Culture and History, to lay flowers and mourn. [24] Many police officers were on site to guide the crowds, [25] there are online video clips showing queues of mourners stretching over 200 meters [26] on the morning of 28 October. Spontaneous mourning activities also occurred at Li's ancestral home in Jiuzi Village, Wuxu Town, Dingyuan County, Anhui Province, and at Qianxi Square in Zhengzhou, Henan Province. [27] Subsequently, people from across the country took action to place chrysanthemums and condolence messages at various locations to express their grief. However, in order to put these activities under control and to stabilize the public sentiment, local governments kept such locations under close surveillance. Many tributed items, especially those with written messages, were swiftly confiscated and cleared by unidentified individuals wearing blue vests shortly after being placed. [28]
After the announcement of Li Keqiang's passing, the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission Office began scrutinizing comments on various online platforms and censoring certain songs and keywords to prevent a recurrence of events like the Tiananmen Square protests. Some flower shops received orders specifying delivery to the former residence of Li Keqiang without specifying the recipient. [26] Officials handled Li Keqiang's death with extreme caution, permitting only specific forms of mourning, while universities strictly regulated how expressions of grief are made. [29] [30] Despite mostly positive sentiments among interviewees, ubiquitous personnel demanded silence from the public. [31] The unprecedented scale of the commemoration reflected public regret and a sense of loss for a once prosperous era of reform, particularly under the increasingly authoritarian leadership of Xi Jinping, leaving people feeling helpless. [32]
This section may be too long and excessively detailed.(June 2024) |
At the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs press conference on 27 October 2023, a journalist from Agence France-Presse asked about the sudden death of former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at the age of 68 due to a heart attack. The journalist inquired about the spokesperson's impressions of Li and whether they had any words of condolence. Spokesperson Mao Ning expressed deep sorrow over Li Keqiang's death and mentioned that Xinhua News Agency had already released a statement. Another journalist from Bloomberg asked for more details regarding Li's death, including information on condolences, memorial arrangements, and whether foreign representatives would be invited to related events. Mao Ning responded by urging attention to forthcoming obituaries and stated that arrangements such as condolences and invitations to foreign representatives would be announced in due course. [33]