Former Premier Li Keqiang, who served in China between 2013 and 2023, has reportedly died of a heart attack at the age of 68.
According to official media reports, Li suffered a heart attack while resting in Shanghai last night. Lee, who could not be saved despite interventions, died at 00.10 today.
Li, who served as premier between 2013 and 2023, has been one of the leading figures in Chinese politics in the past 10 years, along with President Xi Jinping.
According to Anatolia News Agency; During his tenure as Prime Minister, Lee was responsible for the day-to-day management of the economy and directed private sector strengthening, structural reforms and the implementation of emergency economic measures during the COVID-19 period.
Li’s economic policies, which focused on reducing financial risks and structural reforms to shift China from unbalanced economic growth to a sustainable development model, were referred to as “Linomics.”
The growing power of President Xi Jinping and his one-man stance in Chinese politics have overshadowed the former prime minister’s political influence, especially in his last term.
Union of Communist Youth and Politics
Li, who was born in Hefei City, Anhui Province in 1955, studied law at Peking University and then completed his graduate studies, obtaining a master’s degree in economics and a doctorate in economic philosophy.
Li, who rose through the ranks of the Communist Youth League, the youth organization affiliated with the Communist Party of China, which rules the country, served as the organization’s first secretary between 1993 and 1998.
Li was governor of Henan Province from 1998-2002, then secretary of the Communist Party of Henan Province from 2002-2004.
Li, who was Communist Party Secretary of Liaoning Province between 2004 and 2007, was elected to the Standing Committee, which was the highest decision-making body of the Party at the time and consisted of nine people, at the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China held in 2007 .
Since Lee, like then-President Hu Jintao, trained in the Young Communist League and served as its director, he was seen as part of the party’s clique bearing the union’s name and a name close to Hu.
“Leader of the future”
Lee, who was seen as the next leadership candidate after Hu, was steered toward a role responsible for economic management, guided by the balance within the party and his own preferences.
Xi Jinping, who was one year older than him and elected to the Standing Committee at the same time, became vice-chairman at the 11th National People’s Congress held in 2008 after the 17th Congress, and Li became first vice-premier.
Thus, while Xi and Li were confirmed to be China’s future leaders, after then-President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Zhaabao had completed their constitutionally mandated terms and handed over their duties, at the 12th National People’s Congress in 2013, in 2013, Xi became President Lee became President, and was elected Prime Minister.
Prime Minister’s term
As president, Li prioritized reforms that encouraged the independent sector and foreign investment and reduced red tape, after assuming the presidency of the State Council, which serves as China’s cabinet.
Through economic policies called “Linomics”, focusing on sustainable growth and structural reforms by controlling large-scale government incentives, expanding credit, and encouraging small entrepreneurship and local development, China has attempted to transform its economy from an export-oriented structure to an export-led one. On domestic consumption and market dynamics.
However, the concentration of power by President and General Secretary Xi of the Communist Party of China through party committees he established under his leadership in economics, finance, diplomacy, security, reform and other areas has limited the sphere of influence of Li and the State Council he heads.
In 2018, Vice Premier Liu Hai was given the authority to conduct trade negotiations with the United States with Xi’s support, pushing Lee’s role in foreign economic relations to the background.
During the COVID-19 epidemic, Lee, as a “voice of common sense,” called for measures to be implemented in balance with economic and social development, although their impact was limited, in the face of strict epidemic protection measures that have disrupted the country’s progress. Economic life.
The Lee-led government made major tax cuts in 2020-2022 to support companies and individuals affected by the epidemic.
Its political influence remained limited
Li has kept a low profile in politics compared to China’s powerful prime ministers, Kuo Rongji and Wen Zhaabao, who served before him.
Former Prime Minister Kuo, who served from 1998 to 2003, played a key role in the process that led to China’s accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001, exerting his influence on controversial issues such as state sector reform.
Former Prime Minister Finn, who served between 2003 and 2013, also emphasized that political reforms could not be left on hold forever, otherwise tragedies like the Cultural Revolution would be repeated, and stressed that there must be defined boundaries between state and party. .
Although Lee never touched on political reforms during his term, he based his reform policy mostly on economics.
In China, with the constitutional amendment in 2018, the rule limiting the president’s term to two terms was abolished, while the rule limiting the prime minister’s term was maintained.
This change, which indicated that President Xi Jinping will continue his rule for a third term, indicates that Li will leave the stage at the end of his second term.
While Xi was re-elected as general secretary at the 20th CPC Congress in 2022, Li resigned from his party duties.
Li, who submitted the government work report to Parliament for the last time at the 14th National People’s Congress held in March this year, handed over his duties to his successor Li Keqiang.
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