China's former premier Li Keqiang has died: State media

BEIJING - China's former Premier Li Keqiang has died of a sudden heart attack aged 68, state media said on Friday (Oct 27).

"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.

An obituary will be published later, CCTV added.

The former Chinese premier and head of China's cabinet served under President Xi Jinping for a decade from 2013, retiring in March.

The elite Peking University-educated economist was once viewed as a top Communist Party leadership contender, but became increasingly sidelined by Xi in recent years.

He memorably said in 2020 that more than 600 million people in China earned less than the equivalent of $140 per month, sparking a wider debate on poverty and income inequality.