Mapaila conveys a message of heartfelt condolences on behalf of the SACP to the Chinese people.
SACP South African Communist Party
South African Communist Party
Mapaila conveys a message of heartfelt condolences on behalf of the SACP to the Chinese people.
Saturday, 28 October 2023
The South African Communist Party (SACP) General Secretary Solly Mapaila conveys a message of heartfelt condolences to the family of Dr Keqiang Li, the Communist Party of China, the government and people of China at large. “A fine revolutionary has fallen”, said Mapaila after receiving the said news on Friday and when conveying the message on behalf of the SACP.
Dr Li, member of the Communist Party of
China 17th, 18th and 19th Central Committee’s Political
Bureau Standing Committee, 2007 to 2022, and former Premier of China’s State
Council, passed away at 68 on Friday in Shanghai. He passed away after a sudden
heart attack, according to a notice jointly issued by the Communist Party of China
Central Committee, the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, the State
Council and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political
Consultative Conference.
Photo: Xinhua News
In the notice, published by Xinhua News, the official state news agency of the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese leadership recognised Dr Li as a hard-working revolutionary, one who was dedicated to wholeheartedly serving the people and the communist cause.
Dr Li was highly revered as an excellent member of the Communist Party of China, a time-tested and loyal communist soldier, an outstanding proletarian revolutionist and leader of the Party and the People’s Republic of China.
Summary of Dr Li’s profile
Born in July 1955, in March 1974, Li became a member of the Communist Party of China in May 1976.
Between November 1976 and March 1978, he served as the Communist Party of China’s chief of the Damiao Brigade.
He studied at Peking University, in the Department of Law, between March 1978 and February 1982. He was a student activist at the university.
Since February 1982, Li had successively served as secretary of the Peking University Committee of the Communist Youth League of China, a member of the Standing Committee of the league's Central Committee. He played various roles in this capacity, and he also became the Vice Chair of the All-China Youth Federation and the head of the National Working Committee of the Chinese Young Pioneers.
Starting in March 1993, he served as the first member of the Secretariat of the Communist Youth League of China Central Committee, President of the China Youth University of Political Studies, and a member of the Standing Committee of the 8th National People’s Congress.
Starting from June 1998, Li served successively as deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China Henan Provincial Committee, acting governor of Henan, later governor of Henan and Secretary of the Party’s Henan Provincial Committee.
He is recognised for putting forward the goal of realising the rise of central China and pushing for huge progress in various causes in Henan’s economic and social sectors.
Starting from December 2004, Li served as the Secretary of the Communist Party of China Liaoning Provincial Committee and later as the Chair of the Standing Committee of Liaoning Provincial People’s Congress.
In October 2007, Dr Li was elected member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China 17th Central Committee and its Standing Committee. He was re-elected 2012 and 201 and served in this role until 2022.
In March 2008, Dr Li became Vice Premier of the State Council and served as Deputy Secretary of its Leading Party Members Group. He was responsible for the State Council’s day-to-day work.
He assisted in the work regarding responding to the international financial crisis, accelerating economic structural transformation, promoting energy conservation, carbon emission reduction and environmental protection, among others.
Dr Li was elected the Premier of the State Council in March 2013 and 2018 by the National People’s Congress and served as the secretary of the Leading Party Members Group of the State Council.
Faced with complicated domestic and international situations, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, with Dr Jinping Xi as the General Secretary of the Party and President of the People’s Republic of China, Dr Li followed the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, maintained strategic resolve, and improved approaches to macro regulation with greater attention to targeted regulation.
Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Dr Xi as the Party General Secretary and President of the People’s Republic of China, confronting multiple challenges including fast-changing international situations, the COVID-19 epidemic and downward pressure in the domestic economy, Dr Li followed the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, promoting high-quality development, and balancing development and security imperatives.
Dr Li is revered for playing an important role in improving people’s livelihood.
While serving as the Premier, Dr Li also served as head of the Chinese State Council’s leading group for revitalising old industrial bases in the northeast and other regions. He served at the head of the State Council’s leading group for the development of the western region. Dr Li also headed China’s leading group for education, science and technology.
Following the COVID-19 outbreak, he assumed the post of head of the central leading group for COVID-19 response. He helped to encourage achievements in both epidemic response and economic and social development.
To improve the people’s well-being, Li devoted efforts to address prominent issues in employment, education, housing, healthcare, and elderly care.
His tenure as China’s Premier ended in March this year. After this retirement, Li continued to firmly uphold the Communist Party of China’s efforts to improve conduct, build integrity, and combat corruption.
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