On the morning of October 27, China’s state-controlled media announced that former Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang had just passed away at the age of 68. The cause of death was reported to be a heart attack.
Li Keqiang held the position of Prime Minister for two terms, from March 2013 to March 2023. So, Mr. Li died suddenly just 7 months after giving up power.
Often sudden, natural deaths are either heart attacks or strokes. In Vietnam, when General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong went on a tour in Kien Giang in 2019, he also suddenly fell ill, the government said he had a stroke.
However, up to now, the Communist government has been unable to convince the people that Trong had a stroke in a natural pathological state. Because Vietnam’s political environment has given people reason to be suspicious.
Furthermore, Trong fell ill in Kien Giang – a land considered the territory of former PM Nguyen Tan Dung – who had previously been eliminated from politics by Trong himself with the so-called “age limit” while Trong himself enjoyed a “special case.”
Li Keqiuong also suddenly fell ill, but was as unlucky as Trong in Vietnam. Li passed away at a young age as he is 2 years younger than President Xi Jinping.
At the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October 2022, Xi Jinping broke the two-term limit, to return to the position of General Secretary and President of China. At this congress, Xi also removed Li Keqiang from the political arena, and replaced him with Li Qiang.
Last year, a leaked clip showed former Chinese President Hu Jintao being escorted out by bodyguards by Xi Jinping during the closing ceremony of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, October 22, 2022.
When being taken away by the armpits, Mr. Hu Jintao touched Li Keqiang’s shoulder, as if asking for help. However, Ly Keqiang could do nothing, other than turn his head to look at this senior and nod at him.
Li Keqiang died suddenly right at the time Xi Jinping launched a strong purge in the political arena. In July, Xi removed Foreign Minister Qin Gang from his position of power, and returned Wang Yi to his old chair. And recently, Xi also dismissed the Defense Minister.
All of this makes it very difficult to convince world public opinion that Li Keqiang really died of a heart attack.
It is known that in 1983, Li Keqiang worked in the Communist Youth League of China, under Hu Jintao. When he was about to leave office, Mr. Hu Jintao wanted to appoint his protégé as his successor.
However, this plan failed, due to the “Shanghai faction” around Jiang Zemin – Mr. Hu’s powerful predecessor – who built Xi Jinping as his successor. Ly Keqiang was left behind and only took 2nd place.
When he was Prime Minister, Li once warned the National Assembly about the trade war with the US, saying: “Now and in the near future, China will face unprecedented challenges.” These words were like “a bucket of cold water” splashed in Xi Jinping’s face.
Li Keqiang was unlucky when the power of his patron Hu Jintao weakened. Xi Jinping has stripped the Government of its power, by letting the Party’s working groups and committees take over the work of the Government, under Mr. Xi’s leadership. The power transfer of the No. 2 figure in the Chinese Communist Party was not smooth.
The image of Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang as two pillars, fighting with each other in the Chinese Communist Party for 10 years. It is no different from General Secretary Trong and PM Chinh in Vietnam The Xi-Li match has ended, but the Trong-Chinh duel in Vietnam is still ongoing.
Thoibao.de (Translated)
