Former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has died following a sudden heart attack at the age of 68, state media reported on Friday.

"Comrade Li Keqiang, while resting in Shanghai in recent days, experienced a sudden heart attack on Oct. 26 and after all-out efforts to revive him failed, died in Shanghai at ten minutes past midnight on Oct. 27," state broadcaster CCTV reported.

"We deeply mourn the tragic passing of Comrade Li Keqiang due to a sudden heart attack. An obituary will be published soon," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, in the government's first public statement on his death.

The former premier served under President Xi Jinping from 2013 until his retirement in March, heading China's cabinet. 

The legacy of Li Keqiang

An English-speaking economist, Li was once considered a potential successor to then-Communist Party leader Hu Jintao in 2013, but was ultimately overlooked in favor of Xi.

Serving as China's second-in-command from 2013 to 2023, Li, in his role as the as the top economic official, vowed to improve conditions for entrepreneurs creating jobs and wealth.

However, under Xi's leadership, the ruling party heightened the influence of state-run enterprises and exerted greater control over technology and various other sectors.

As the chief overseer of China's COVID-19 policy, one of Li's last significant actions in office was leading a Cabinet meeting on November 11, 2022, that declared the easing of the country's strict control measures.

These included ending the three-year shut down of most international travel. The measures had caused the Chinese economy to shrink by 2.6% in the second quarter of 2022.

The early years

Born on July 1, 1955, Li was the son of an official in Anhui province, a poor farming area, and toiled in the fields during the Cultural Revolution.

He quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a commune's party secretary by 1976.

At Peking University, where he studied law and later earned a Ph.D. in economics in 1994, Li also led the Communist Youth League. The same organization launched the political careers of former party leaders Hu Jintao and Hu Yaobang.

His career progressed through various party positions, including serving as the party secretary in Henan and Liaoning provinces. In 2007, Li was appointed to the party's Central Committee.

"No matter how the international winds and clouds change, China will unswervingly expand its opening up." Li said at his last public appearance in March. "The Yangtze River and the Yellow River will not flow backwards."

ss/rc (AP, AFP, Reuters)