Former Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang, who held office between 2012 and March of this year, died in the city of Shanghai at the age of 68 due to a heart attack, state media reported.
Li suffered a heart attack on Thursday and “despite all efforts to save him, he died at 12:10 a.m. on October 27,” according to state broadcaster CCTV.
The former prime minister, who has remained out of the political line since leaving office, was in Shanghai “resting,” the network notes.
So far no details have been released about the funeral and burial of the deceased politician.
On March 11, Li Keqiang was replaced at the annual plenary session of the National People’s Congress (Legislative) by Li Qiang at the suggestion of President Xi Jinping, recently elected for an unprecedented third term in his followed.
Upon his arrival in office, Li, who belonged to the most liberal wing of the Government, was expected to give impetus to the opening and reform of the Chinese economy, but his work and ability to maneuver were gradually limited. and more overshadowed by the growing power of Si Xi.
The decade of his mandate was tumultuous due to the trade war with the United States, growing debt and the covid-19 pandemic, which kept the country closed for almost three years with 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 from the Communist Youth League until in 1998 he became China’s youngest governor, before the central province of Henan.
After occupying the leadership of the CCP in that province and then in Liaoning, Li entered the Party Standing Committee in 2007 and just one year later he was promoted to vice premier under the mandate of former premier Wen Jiabao.
The 18th Congress of the Communist Party of China approved a new Central Committee in November 2012, which included Li Keqiang, who four months later was appointed by the ANP as prime minister, replacing Wen.
