Li Keqiang, China’s former premier and a onetime rival to President Xi Jinping, has died aged 68, state media reported on Friday.
“On October 26, Li had a sudden heart attack and passed away at 00:10 on October 27 [16:10 GMT October 26] after all rescue measures failed,” the state-run Global Times reported.
Who was Li Keqiang?
Li Keqiang, (born July 1, 1955, Hefei, Anhui province, China—died October 27, 2023, Shanghai, China), was Chinese politician and government official who served as premier of China (2013–23).
Li grew up in Anhui province in east-central China, where his father was a local official.
His formal schooling was interrupted in 1974–78 during the latter part of the Cultural Revolution and early post-Mao Zedong years, when he was sent to a commune in eastern Anhui.
He joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1976 and served as the secretary of the party’s commune branch.
In 1978 he was given the chance to attend college and enrolled at Peking University in Beijing.
He became immersed in school and party politics while there and received a degree from the university’s law department in 1982.
Upon graduation he joined the leadership of the Chinese Communist Youth League (CCYL), where he became acquainted with future president of China Hu Jintao (who at that time was a leader of the organization). The two soon developed a close relationship.
Li Keqiang rose through the hierarchy of the CCYL in the 1980s and ’90s, becoming the head (first secretary) of it in 1993. At the same time, he also earned advanced degrees in economics from Peking University.
In 1998 he moved into the leadership of the CCP in Henan province, where he served first as acting governor (1998–99) and then as governor (1999–2003) before becoming provincial secretary of the party (2002–04).
Li had mixed success during his time in office there, as he was credited with considerably improving the provincial economy but was dogged by a scandal surrounding an official cover-up of the poor treatment of AIDS patients who had been infected through an unscrupulous blood-donation program.
He was officially lauded for his handling of the issue, however, and in 2004 he was named party secretary in Liaoning province, where he also chaired (2005–07) the standing committee of the provincial legislature.
He drew generally positive notice there, particularly for his efforts to increase the availability of affordable housing for workers.
In 2007 Li made the jump to the national CCP leadership, when he was elected to the party’s all-powerful standing committee of the Political Bureau (Politburo).
From 2008 he also served as China’s executive vice premier. By that time speculation had grown that Li was being groomed to succeed Hu Jintao as China’s president.
It soon became apparent, however, that another rising star—Xi Jinping, who also had become a member of the Political Bureau standing committee in 2007—was the likely candidate for the post, after he was first elected vice president of the country in 2008 and then vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (which President Hu chaired) in 2010.
At the 18th CCP party conference in November 2012, Li was again elected to the standing committee, and he was tapped to succeed Wen Jiabao as premier.
He was elected to that office on March 15, 2013, during the National People’s Congress in Beijing. Li retired in March 2023 and was succeeded by Li Qiang.
About Li Keqiang’s Wife
Li Keqiang’s wife is Cheng Hong, a Chinese professor and scholar of American literature. She is also an author and a translator of several books.
They got married in 1983 and have one daughter who studied in the United States.
Cheng Hong was born in Zhengzhou, Henan, and met Li Keqiang at Tsinghua University.
She is a member of the academic committee of Brown University’s China Initiative. She is considered one of the leading Chinese scholars of American nature writing,
About Li Keqiang’s Children
Li Keqiang had one daughter with his wife Cheng Hong. Her name is not publicly known, but she studied at Peking University and later in the United States.
She is also a talented pianist and a chess player. Li Keqiang was very proud of her and often praised her achievements.
About Li Keqiang’s Parents
Li Keqiang’s parents were Li Fengsan and Li Shuying. They were both farmers from Dingyuan County, Anhui Province.
They lived in a mud-brick house with no electricity or running water. Li Keqiang’s father died when he was 19 years old, and his mother passed away in 2015.
About Li Keqiang’s Siblings
According to the fact results from my search, Li Keqiang had one sibling, a younger brother named Li Keming.
He was born in July 1957 and worked as a senior official in the tobacco industry. He was also a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
About Li Keqiang’s Family
Li Keqiang’s family list is as follows:
Wife: Cheng Hong, a professor and scholar of American literature. She is also an author and a translator of several books.
Daughter: Li Yifei, a student who studied at Peking University and later in the United States. She is also a pianist and a chess player.
Parents: Li Fengsan and Li Shuying, both farmers from Dingyuan County, Anhui Province.
Sibling: Li Keming, a younger brother who worked as a senior official in the tobacco industry.
Li Keqiang Net worth
Li Keqiang’s net worth was estimated to be between $1 million and $5 million at the time of his death.
He earned his wealth through his various positions in the Chinese government. He also owned several properties in China.
Li Keqiang Death cause
Li Keqiang, the former premier of China, died of a heart attack on Friday. He was 68 years old.
State media said he had been “resting” in Shanghai when he suffered a sudden heart attack on Thursday.
He passed away ten minutes past midnight on Friday despite “all-out efforts” to revive him, state broadcaster CCTV said.
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, was Chinese politician and government official who served as premier of China (2013–23).
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