Li Keqiang, former premier of the People's Republic of China and member of the 17th, 18th, and 19th Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, died on 27 October 2023 at 00:10 CST in Shanghai, aged 68.
Li Keqiang became the youngest Premier at the time of leaving office and the earliest to die among all Premiers since the 1949 proclamation of the People's Republic of China.
Background Resignations from party and governmental positions After the first plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party 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.
Health status 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.
Reports also indicated that Li had diabetes, which was further exacerbated by his demanding domestic and diplomatic work.
The South China Morning Post reported that Li Keqiang had previously had heart bypass surgery.
Death
Sudden emergency Li suffered a sudden heart attack while swimming at the Shanghai Dongjiao Hotel on 26 October 2023. He was accompanied by his wife Cheng Hong. It was reported that the heart attack occurred around noon on 26 October. Li Keqiang was rushed to the Shanghai Shuguang Hospital (East Campus) by security and medical personnel after the incident. All available resources were mobilized, 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.
News release 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. Subsequently, official media outlets, such as Xinhua News Agency and the China Central Television (CCTV) website, published identical official statements. 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." 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.
Relocation and viewing of the coffin 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. Upon arrival in Beijing, Li's remains was transferred to the PLA General Hospital in preparation for national mourning and funeral arrangements.
Farewell ceremony
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.
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.
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.
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.
Aftermath
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. Many police officers were on site to guide the crowds, there are online video clips showing queues of mourners stretching over 200 meters 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. 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.
After the announcement of Li Keqiang's death, 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 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre. Some flower shops received orders specifying delivery to the former residence of Li Keqiang without specifying the recipient. Officials handled Li Keqiang's death with extreme caution, permitting only specific forms of mourning. Despite mostly positive sentiments among interviewees, ubiquitous personnel demanded silence from the public. 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.
Reactions
China 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.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Lee Ka-chiu expressed deep sadness regarding the death of Li Keqiang. The former Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, expressed profound condolences. Former member of the LegCo Tam Yiu-chung expressed profound shock upon hearing of Li Keqiang's death, stating that he deeply mourns the loss. Member of the LegCo Leung Mei-fun expressed regret over the sudden death of Premier Li Keqiang, describing him as a Premier for the people. She also noted that as a legal scholar, Li always paid attention to how Hong Kong could maintain its edge.
Macau Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng expressed his deepest condolences and said that Li Keqiang's contributions to the country and the people will always be remembered and cherished. The government announced on 1 November 2023, that the flags would be flown at half-mast at the government headquarters, Government House, and all border ports on 2 November, the day of Li Keqiang's funeral.
International reactions
: On social media, Ambassador to Sri Lanka Ashraf Haidari expressed the following sentiment: "Life is so fleeting, gone in the blink of an eye! My condolences to the family and loved ones of the late Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, as well as to the government and people of China. I also extend my condolences to the government and people of the ancient neighboring country Afghanistan." : Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed his deep sorrow at the death of former Premier Li Keqiang of the State Council of the People's Republic of China. He noted significant progress in bilateral relations between Australia and China during Premier Li's tenure, including the signing of the Australia-China Free Trade Agreement. Last year, during the East Asia Summit, he had the opportunity to meet with Premier Li to discuss the importance of the bilateral relationship and expressed hopes for further development. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese extended heartfelt condolences on behalf of the Australian government and people to Premier Li's family and the Chinese people. Former Prime Minister and Ambassador to the United States Kevin Rudd expressed deep sorrow over the death of former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on social media. He emphasized that Premier Li, who hailed from the impoverished province of Anhui, China, came from humble beginnings.