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Li Keqiang

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Li Keqiang was a prominent Chinese politician and a highly skilled economist.

Xi jinping and Li keqiang
Xi jinping and Li keqiang

From 2013 to 2023, he served as the Premier of China. The Premier is the head of the State Council, which is China's central government. Before this, he was a top leader in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He sat on the Politburo Standing Committee, the highest decision-making body in the country. Li was known as a technocrat, meaning he relied heavily on technical knowledge and data. His career was defined by a focus on economic reform and modernizing China's industries.

Li's early life was shaped by significant social changes in China. He was born on July 3, 1955, in Hefei, Anhui province. During the Cultural Revolution, he worked in an agriculture commune in Fengyang County. In 1976, he joined the CCP and became a local party head. He later attended Peking University, a top school in China. He first studied law and earned a Bachelor of Laws in 1982. He also translated legal books from English to Chinese. Later, he studied economics under the expert Li Yining. Li earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Economics from Peking University in 1995.

Li Keqiang, Chinese and foreign press conference
Li Keqiang, Chinese and foreign press conference

Li rose through the ranks of the Communist Youth League (CYLC). This organization helps train young people for leadership roles. He served as the first secretary of the national CYLC from 1993 to 1998. During this time, he started the Youth Volunteers Operation to help with social projects. His success in the CYLC connected him to leader Hu Jintao. This connection placed him in a specific political group called the Tuanpai faction. Because of his academic success, his dissertation on the "ternary structure of Chinese economy" won the Sun Yefang Prize in 1996. This is the highest award for economics in China.

Before reaching national leadership, Li managed several provinces. In 1998, at age 43, he became the governor of Henan. He worked to turn this poor region into a place for investment. Under his leadership, Henan's GDP ranking rose from 28th to 18th by 2004. In 2004, he moved to Liaoning to serve as the party secretary. He led a project to remove 12 million square meters of slums by 2007.

Vice Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China (5347479772)
Vice Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China (5347479772)

He also created the "Li Keqiang index" to measure economic health. Instead of just using GDP, he tracked electricity use and railway cargo volume. This helped him see if the economy was actually growing.

As Vice Premier from 2008 to 2013, Li handled many major responsibilities. He oversaw the economy, government budgets, and environmental issues. He helped lead an economic stimulus program after the 2008 global financial crisis. He also managed projects like the Three Gorges Dam.

Sommet éco franco-chinois-2022
Sommet éco franco-chinois-2022

Li believed China needed to change its economic structure. He argued that China should move away from just exporting goods. He wanted to focus on domestic consumption, which means people within China buying more products. He also promoted an "olive-shaped" wealth distribution. This meant having a very large middle class to support the country.

When Li became Premier in 2013, he pushed for even more innovation. He helped establish the Shanghai Free-Trade Zone that same year. In 2015, the State Council launched the "Made in China 2025" initiative. This was a strategic plan to upgrade China's manufacturing technology. He also championed "mass entrepreneurship," which encourages people to start new businesses.

12th East Asia Summit (2)
12th East Asia Summit (2)

However, his power faced challenges over time. The balance of power between different leaders at Zhongnanhai changed. As the party-government co-governance system broke down, the role of the Premier became less central.

Li Keqiang stepped down from his top position in October 2022. He was succeeded by Li Qiang in March 2023. Li passed away in October 2023 from a heart attack.

The Crowd Offers Flowers in Front of Li Keqiang's Former Residence in Mourning (20231029)
The Crowd Offers Flowers in Front of Li Keqiang's Former Residence in Mourning (20231029)

His life reflected the massive shifts in China's economy and politics. He moved from rural labor to the highest levels of global government. His work helped guide China through decades of intense growth and modernization. He remains a significant figure in the history of Chinese economic development.

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File:Vice_Premier_of_the_State_Council_of_the_People’s_Republic_of_China_(5347479772).jpg
Vice_Premier_of_the_State_Council_of_the_P...
File:First Minister meets Chinese Vice-Premier (6460172703).jpg
First Minister meets Chinese Vice-Premier...
File:12th East Asia Summit (2).jpg
12th East Asia Summit (2).jpg
File:Sommet éco franco-chinois-2022.jpg
Sommet éco franco-chinois-2022.jpg
File:Li Keqiang, Chinese and foreign press conference.jpg
Li Keqiang, Chinese and foreign press...
File:Xi jinping and Li keqiang.jpg
Xi jinping and Li keqiang.jpg
File:President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and his long-time partner Cielito “Honeylet” Avanceña greet People’s Republic of China State Council Premier Li Keqiang’s wife Cheng Hong.jpg
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and his...
File:The Crowd Offers Flowers in Front of Li Keqiang's Former Residence in Mourning (20231029).jpg
The Crowd Offers Flowers in Front of Li...
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