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Former State Council Premier Li Keqiang, who led the economy during the first and second terms of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s administration, passed away at the age of 68 on the 27th.
On this day, state-run China Central (CC) TV and others reported that former Prime Minister Li suddenly suffered a heart attack in Shanghai the day before and received emergency treatment, but died in Shanghai at 0:10 a.m. on the 27th (local time). He further added that an (official) obituary will be published soon.
Former Prime Minister Li represents the ‘Communist Party’, a major faction within the Chinese Communist Party, and is called a ‘fifth generation leader’ along with President Xi, a member of the Prince’s Party, which is comprised of children of revolutionary elders. He officially oversaw economic policy while serving as Prime Minister of the State Council, ‘China’s second-highest ranking official’, for 10 years from 2013 to March of this year.
He was once President Xi’s rival, but as Xi Jinping’s one-man system strengthened, he had to prove his loyalty, and under President Xi’s shadow, he is called an unlucky prime minister.
In July 1955, Li Keqiang was born into the family of a local official in Hefei, Anhui Province, and was relatively influenced by his father, Li Pengshan, during his growth process. Li Pengshan previously served as the Pengyang Field Office in Anhui Province, and later served as deputy director of the Anhui Province Regional Office before retiring.
Li Keqiang, who was smart and had a hobby of studying from a young age, had excellent grades, but had to give up his studies during the turbulent Cultural Revolution. In 1974, he was sent to a rural village in Pengyang County as part of the so-called ‘Uphill Down Movement’ and became one of the ‘Zhiqing’ (intellectual youths) who experienced physical labor.
Afterwards, when the university entrance examination system was revived in China in 1977, he was admitted to the law school of Peking University, a prestigious university, with the best grades in Pengyang County in the first year. He later received a master’s and doctoral degree in economics from this university.
Li Keqiang’s college classmates later revealed that he was a ‘study bug’ to the point that he memorized English words even when standing in line at the school cafeteria or traveling in the car, and that his English grades were excellent.
After completing a five-year successor training course within the Communist Youth League organization, he toured various provinces and took an elite successor training course.
In 1998, 43-year-old Li Keqiang was appointed provincial and deputy secretary of Henan Province, and the following year he rose to the position of first secretary. Also in 2004, he moved to Liaoning Province, an industrial province.
At the 17th Party Congress in 2007, Li Keqiang was elected as a member of the Politburo Standing Committee along with Xi Jinping, officially becoming one of the two cores of the next leadership, and unofficially becoming a competing rival.
There is also a theory that former President Hu Jintao actively recommended Li Keqiang, a member of his faction, as a candidate for the next president, but because he lost a secret struggle for power with former President Jiang Zemin, Li Keqiang lost his position as number one to Xi Jinping. There are also claims that Li Keqiang, who is known to be more active and hot-tempered compared to Xi Jinping’s generally amicable personality, is unpopular with Communist Party elders and central committee members because he likes to show off, which is a taboo in the Communist Party leadership.
While overseeing economic affairs during Xi Jiping’s first and second terms in office, Li Keqiang was evaluated as a pro-market marketer, and some say he acted as a counterweight by revealing a different perspective from Xi Jinping’s economic policy.
In addition, even in a situation where Xi Jinping’s one-man dictatorship was strengthened, he was loved by the people by making a statement of his convictions every once in a while at a critical time. She also appeared to indirectly criticize President Xi’s strong ‘Zero Corona’ policy.
However, with Xi Jinping holding strong power in his hands, Li Keqiang is evaluated as being unable to change the direction of the economic policy led by Xi Jinping. His presence faded, and he left office in March, handing over his position to his successor, Prime Minister Li Chang, at the National People’s Congress.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.