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Ji Siqi

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has been making a farewell tour of government ministries, promoting the need for economic reform as he prepares to step down from a position he has held for a decade.
Footage of Li visiting the State Council and government offices, including the Ministry of Finance, started appearing online last week.
Many of the videos have been heavily censored on Chinese social media, with most of them circulating outside the “Great Firewall”.
In some videos, the premier is seen greeting and taking group photos with staff at the State Council, which he has chaired.
In others, Li receives a warm welcome from crowds of officials at the various key economic government apparatus he has overseen.
At a stop at the National Development and Reform Commission, Li appears to give a farewell speech to the officials greeting him, saying China’s economic reform still needs to be “comprehensively promoted”.
“The first priority is development, and the fundamental driving force is reform, and these are now entrusted to you,” Li says in the video.
In another clip at the Ministry of Finance, Li says his visit is “to show my gratitude to you comrades”.
“We have gone through an extraordinary journey in the past few years, especially last year, when we were hit by unexpected factors such as the pandemic, and comrades in the Ministry of Finance have played a key role in coping with the challenges,” he said.

An official at one of the gatherings who spoke on condition of anonymity said the atmosphere was “warm” and many people came together to bid farewell.
“Many people went there specially just to see him off, with everyone appearing to be reluctant to part with Li,” the official said.
The source said the turnout showed that Li still enjoyed a good reputation within the Communist Party, even though he is retiring from the position as China’s No 2 official.




Li, 67, will deliver his final government work report on Sunday during the opening ceremony of the National People’s Congress.
Former Shanghai party boss Li Qiang is poised to take over the premiership, while Xi Jinping is set to start his third term as president.
Li Keqiang graduated from Peking University and studied finance and economics under one of China’s top economists, Li Yining.
He was expected to be the chief proponent of China’s economic reforms, but his power waned over the past decade as Xi gradually consolidated his status inside the party.
A foreign businessman who has had direct contact with Li Keqiang described him as “down to earth”.
“He really knows the situation on the ground,” the businessman said on condition of anonymity.


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News

China

Politics

Videos censored on Chinese social media show Li delivering his message on a farewell tour of government ministries
The premier is expected to step down at the annual meeting of the national legislature


Videos censored on Chinese social media show Li delivering his message on a farewell tour of government ministries.


Two Sessions 2023 (Lianghui): All Articles

Li Keqiang

China economy

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang renews call for economic reform in last days in office

Videos censored on Chinese social media show Li delivering his message on a farewell tour of government ministries The premier is expected to step down at the annual meeting of the national legislature

Videos censored on Chinese social media show Li delivering his message on a farewell tour of government ministries

The premier is expected to step down at the annual meeting of the national legislature