Prominent Sinologist Adil Kaukenov commented on the sudden death of the prominent Chinese politician Li Keqiang. Here is his statement, taken from his Telegram channel:

In China, the death of any relatively important figure provides an excellent opportunity for political expressions, veiled under praises for the departed. Speaking about how good the deceased was easily implies how bad those currently alive are, especially those in power.

This tradition has seen several precedents in the past, although the most well-known ones are relatively recent: the demonstrations in Tiananmen Square in 1976 following the death of Premier Zhou Enlai, and the events leading to the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989, triggered by the death of former General Secretary Hu Yaobang.

People will remember the departed, but unlike Zhou Enlai and Hu Yaobang, the late politician in question was already retired. There are no forces on the current political landscape capable of (or interested in) stirring up any political turmoil as Deng Xiaoping did in 1976.

Taking into account these peculiarities of Chinese political culture, let’s say a few words about the late Li Keqiang:

Li Keqiang was an honor student, a real, natural honor student. A man with a perfect communist name (Li Keqiang means «winning over the strong» or «firmly victorious») and an ideal surname for a politician, Li. A man with impeccable personal information for a communist and a practically ideal biography.

He hailed from a background of rural leadership in the deep peasant province of Anhui. On one hand, he came «from the soil,» and on the other hand, he was part of the local establishment. He received decent education, had work experience commensurate with his position, and at the right age, he effortlessly joined the Communist Party and became a student at Peking University.

This is how he progressed in life: an honor student, an activist, a man with an impeccable profile, hailing from the regions. The Communist Youth League served as a social elevator for him (they especially liked honor students from the regions), but even more important were the connections he gained while working in local leadership.

At the age of 43, Li became the governor of his province, making him the youngest governor at that time. He was elected to the Standing Committee of the Communist Party’s Central Committee, bypassing the stage of regular membership in the Central Committee.

As Li ascended the political ladder, the difference between his image and Xi Jinping’s became increasingly noticeable: an elitist Xi versus a populist Li. This is how it was described in Sinological analyses about twelve years ago.

To Xi Jinping, the son of a highly placed but fallen from grace Beijing official, it was necessary to painstakingly create an image of a «man of the people» who had suffered in rural exile — Li Keqiang didn’t need this. He genuinely was a man of the people, and the roots of his political rise lay in his image as a strong farmer who knew how to improve life in the countryside.

Li Keqiang embodied a more pragmatic and less ideological style of Chinese politics, this is a fact.

He was long considered a real alternative to Xi Jinping as the «leader of the fifth generation,» but Xi was more of a compromise figure, whereas Li Keqiang’s protector, Hu Jintao, had too much baggage, so Li became the «number two.»

This was probably not the optimal solution.

The antagonism between Xi and Li (largely contrived) persisted throughout Li Keqiang’s ten years as head of the government.

This became the main reason why neither of them could fully realize their ideas for China’s development, at least in Li Keqiang’s case.

And now he has passed away at the age of only 68 years old, well below the proverbial «three score and ten.» Just half a year after his retirement. From a sudden heart attack. These things are difficult to plan, which is why it’s strange to hear comments like «it’s suspicious because there were no reports of health problems.»

But of course, 68 is too young. We never got to see him with gray hair. Instead, we were spared the sight of him, frail and clueless, being led out of a hall…

Li Keqiang was a man for whom everything was supposed to turn out differently. A man for whom everything could have turned out differently.