Li Keqiang, a former Chinese premier who was overshadowed by President Xi Jinping's expanding control, died at age 68 on Friday after suffering a heart attack, state media reported.
The report said Li died in Shanghai after efforts to resuscitate him failed.
Li, who held the No. 2 role within China’s political system from 2013 to 2023, had been fading from political favor in recent years. In October 2022, he was booted from the Standing Committee at a party congress, two years ahead of the informal retirement age. At the same time, Xi awarded himself another term and continued to centralize power, drawing it away from the Standing Committee.