Beijing censors messages of condolence for Li Keqiang
Expressions of condolence in Hefei, Zhengzhou and Shanghai. Hundreds of people laid bouquets of flowers and messages, some of which have since disappeared from the Internet. Some people who had disguised themselves in a way that could be read as discontent with Xi Jinping were also arrested. In the obituary released by the authorities, the president's name appears five times, marking the centrality of the current leadership.
Beijing (AsiaNews) - Over the weekend the Chinese continued to mourn the death of former prime minister Li Keqiang, who passed away suddenly on October 27, while local authorities censored information paying tribute to the premier on the Internet. According to experts, any demonstration against Li, who had been marginalized by President Xi Jinping, can be read as a form of dissent or discontent with the current leadership.
So far there have been no signs of organized protests against Xi, but authorities are cautious. In 1989, the death of former liberal prime minister Hu Yaobang, who was forced to retire, sparked nationwide demonstrations, a scenario that Beijing does not want to repeat.
Over the weekend, in Hefei, Anhui province, where Li Keqiang was born and raised, people lined up for hundreds of meters to offer bouquets of flowers outside his home. Online videos show that even in the dark, people did not leave but continued to pile flowers.
Some famous quotes from Li were also attached to the bouquets, including, for example: "The Yangtze River and the Yellow River never flow in reverse." The prime minister had uttered these words in August 2022 when he was visiting Shenzhen, referring to the fact that the opening of China was an irreversible process. Many of the notes attached to the flowers also expressed praise towards Li for telling the truth, messages that were read as a form of discontent towards Xi, on the contrary.
In Zhengzhou, in the central province of Henan, where Li had worked for seven years as provincial governor and then provincial party secretary, people set up a portrait in the center of the city.
In Shanghai, however, several artists were stopped by the police, in particular a man dressed as a garland with the words "deep condolences" and another dressed as a road sign with the words "I am in Shanghai. I want you to die." Although no names were mentioned, photos of the costumes were quickly shared on social networks and sparked several discussions online.
China's official media gave no space to the thousands of people mourning Li Keqiang, but only a formal obituary was released to announce his death, in which Xi Jinping's name appears five times. The eulogy said that Li achieved success in his premiership under Xi's leadership, and that Li continued to support Xi as the core of the party after he retired from office. Li's death was a great loss for the party, which is why the state asked citizens to "turn grief into strength to rally closer around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its center."
At the same time, however, paying homage to the former leader was not encouraged. Many online videos have been censored and universities have received a notice specifying that students are not allowed to gather to mourn Li's death.
An expert economist and the second most important leader within the Chinese Communist Party after Xi Jinping, his influence was undermined in the decade in which he served as prime minister, progressively marginalized as Xi apparently disagreed with the policies economic ones proposed by him.
Some online users argue that the official cause of death (a heart attack) is unconvincing. Li was 68 years old and having been a former Party leader he enjoyed access to the best health services. Many online comments also underlined that the mourning was also carried out against an era in which there was hope.
Li began his career in the Youth League, the youth section of the Chinese Communist Party. He was considered the last leader to come from this camp after all the senior members had been expelled from the Politburo.
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31/05/2021 11:16
19/08/2005
