Beijing Flies Flags At Half-Mast For Late Ex-Premier Li Keqiang

In Beijing, flags were flown at half-mast on Thursday in preparation for the funeral of the late former premier, Li Keqiang. A reform-oriented bureaucrat, Li was once considered a potential future leader of China but was overshadowed by the current leader, Xi Jinping. Li, an economist and a fluent English speaker, tragically passed away from a sudden heart attack in Shanghai last week at the age of 68, just a few months after stepping down from his role as the country's second-ranked leader. Widely regarded as an advocate for political liberalization and economic reform, Li's influence waned as Xi Jinping's more centralized and dominant governance style took precedence. In an official obituary, the ruling Communist Party described Li as a "time-tested and loyal communist soldier" and called on the Chinese people to "turn grief into strength" by uniting even more closely around the party and its leadership. Li's cremation is scheduled for Thursday and is expected to be attended by China's top leadership. However, the relatively subdued state commemoration and apparent heavy online censorship indicate a desire by officials to prevent excessive public displays of mourning for Li, who was once a rival to Xi Jinping. Reporters in Beijing observed national flags flying at half-mast in a smoggy Tiananmen Square and other locations on Thursday morning. Near the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery, where numerous notable Chinese officials are laid to rest, around 200 individuals, mostly elderly, gathered along the pavement. However, they were outnumbered by uniformed police, who lined both sides of the road. Security officers closed off walkways near the cemetery, although roads remained open for vehicle traffic. Attempts to film the cemetery's entrance from a moving car were blocked by a police vehicle.