China’s former Premier Li Keqiang has died of a heart attack, state broadcaster China Central Television reported.
The 68-year-old passed away in Shanghai in the early hours of Friday, according to the report. The Chinese official spent a decade as the nation’s premier, overseeing China’s economy, and was a former member of the ruling Communist Party’s top Politburo Standing Committee.
Li ascended the political ladder via challenging stints as party chief in the provinces of Liaoning and Henan. In Henan, he oversaw strong growth, but also presided over a blood donation scandal that infected rural residents with HIV.
After losing out to Xi Jinping for the role as president, Li became premier and carved out a policy platform based on cutting red tape and taxes on business. He also championed “new style urbanization,” which encouraged city growth to be linked with the provision of employment and public services.
But Li’s role diminished once Xi moved key economic policy decisions to a series of party committees led by himself and his trusted economic aide, Liu He. Li in turn spent much of his time responding to crises and ensuring that officials followed the Chinese leader’s decisions.
The Chinese official was replaced as premier by Li Qiang in March this year.
