Former Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang, who retired in March, has died of a heart attack at the age of 68. Chinese state media reported this on Friday, Reuters writes.
“Comrade Li Keqiang, while resting in Shanghai for the past few days, suffered a sudden heart attack on October 26,” state broadcaster CCTV said. “After all attempts to revive him failed, he died at ten minutes past midnight on October 27 in Shanghai.”
Li served as head of government under President Xi Jinping for ten years from 2013 until March this year. The economist, who was educated at Beijing University, was once seen as one of the leading candidates for the leadership of the Communist Party but has been increasingly sidelined by Xi in recent years.
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In 2020, Li attracted attention when he said that more than 600 million people in China earned less than the equivalent of $140 a month. This led to a broader debate about poverty and income inequality.