- Li Keqiang’s Sudden Passing
- Economic and Environmental Legacy
- China’s Zero-Covid Dilemma
Former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, aged 68, has died from a myocardial infarction.
On Friday, at 10 minutes past midnight, he reportedly passed away despite “all-out” efforts to revive him, according to state media.
Formerly considered the nation’s prospective leader, Li was surpassed in that regard by President Xi Jinping.
Although he was educated in economics and formerly occupied the second-highest position in China, he has become increasingly reclusive among China’s top leadership in recent years.
He was the only high-ranking incumbent official who was not a member of the group of Mr. Xi’s loyalists.
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“No one appears capable of assuming Li’s responsibilities as a prominent moderator at the highest levels of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the wake of his death,” said Ian Chong, a non-resident scholar at the Carnegie China think tank.
“This probably means even less restraint on Mr Xi’s exercise of power and authority.”
Li, who resigned as premier in March of this year, was in Shanghai when he suffered an unexpected heart attack on Thursday and passed away early on Friday.
On Chinese social media, his passing is being mourned broadly, with many users expressing astonishment and sorrow; however, it appears that comments on many posts have been restricted.
“This is far too sudden, he was so young,” one Weibo user from China exclaimed. Another compared his passing to the destruction of “a pillar of our home.”
State media outlets have also reported on Li’s demise, acknowledging his significant contributions to the CCP and the nation.
Former Chinese leaders’ demises have historically incited demonstrations. The outpouring of grief that followed the passing of Jiang Zemin a year ago was interpreted as a nuanced critique of President Xi.
Li was considered to be among the most astute political figures of his time. He was granted admission to the esteemed Peking University Law School shortly after academic institutions resumed operations subsequent to Mao’s Cultural Revolution, an era characterised by the presumed deaths of millions of individuals.
The Li Keqiang index, The Economist’s informal economic progress statistic for China, is his most notable contribution outside China.
Li Keqiang’s Political Journey
Born into a modest household, Li was the progeny of a municipality official. He was born in July 1955 in Dingyuan County, Anhui province, eastern China.
By ascending the rankings, he achieved the distinction of becoming the youngest provincial governor in China. Subsequently, he was appointed to the Politburo Standing Committee, the highest echelon of the party’s central leadership.
There was once speculation that he was being prepared to succeed Hu Jintao, the predecessor of Mr. Xi.
He was the last Hu administration Politburo Standing Committee member before resigning in March. He was widely regarded as Mr. Hu’s protégé. The Hu years were characterised by a greater acceptance of new ideas and an increased receptivity to the outside world.
Contributions to Economic Policy
Li was known for his realistic economic strategy, which prioritised affordable housing and wealth inequality.
National University of Singapore professor Bert Hofman remarked, “He was a very enthusiastic, open-minded individual who genuinely sought to advance China and encouraged open dialogue with people from all walks of life.”
Dr. Chong stated that Li will be remembered for his “open and reformist economic orientation.” “[He was] more of a technocrat than an ideologue or loyalist.”
Li championed policies that encouraged technological innovation and entrepreneurship, particularly among the youth.
He was an economist who gained notoriety for “telling it like it is” within a party dominated by engineers. He openly acknowledged China’s economic problems in an effort to find solutions.
“Likonomics” was his economic strategy of debt reduction and structural reform that sought to wean China off debt-driven development and steer the nation towards self-sufficiency.
However, by 2016, the party mouthpiece People’s Daily had abandoned the term “Likonomics” in preference of Mr. Xi’s economic philosophy, which emphasised supply-side changes and microeconomic reforms.
Battling Air Pollution and Environmental Challenges
Hofman further stated that during his tenure as premier, Li spearheaded China’s most significant campaign against air pollution, infamously “declaring war” on pollution in 2014 and acknowledging at the highest level that it was a national crisis; this resulted in a substantial reduction in pollution and the health risks associated with it.
Challenges in the Final Days
The final days of Li’s presidency were beset by the zero-Covid crisis in China.
He emphasised that the economy was weak and urged officials to avoid growth-stifling limitations during the worst. Even more so, he was observed unmasked in public prior to China lifting its zero-Covid policy.
However, when cadres were forced to choose between Mr. Xi’s directive to maintain zero-Covid with extreme discipline and his order to safeguard the economy, it was an easy decision: China would double down on restrictions.
Zero-Covid closed businesses and choked supply lines across China, from Shanghai to rural locations.
