Former Premier Li Keqiang, Advocate for Private Business in China, Dies at 68

Li's death sparks public mourning and censorship in China, highlighting nostalgia for a time of economic growth and reform amid increasing dissatisfaction with the regime of Xi Jinping.

• Former Premier Li Keqiang died of a heart attack, aged 68, sparking online mourning censored by China's government.
• Li Keqiang was an advocate for private business and tried to improve conditions for entrepreneurs, but faced challenges from President Xi Jinping's tightening control over the economy.
• In 2022, Li Keqiang was replaced by, Li Qiang, a Xi Jinping loyalist, in the Party's Standing Committee despite being below the informal retirement age of 70.
• Li Keqiang played a significant role in managing China's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, making key decisions such as relaxing anti-virus controls after the economy shrank 2.6 percent in the second quarter of 2022.
• Public sentiment surrounding Li's death indicates increasing dissatisfaction with Xi's leadership and nostalgia for a period of growth and reform.

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