Deeply saddened and shocked by former premier Li Keqiang’s sudden passing on Friday, I do, however, have fond memories of covering his visit to Macau in October 2016 and his steadfast political strategy, firmly based on the principles of the Communist Party of China (CPC), that pursued progress while ensuring stability.
From his inspection visit to Macau seven years ago, I recall Li as an intelligent and amiable person who easily won local people’s hearts.
During his three-day visit to our city Li announced a total of 37 measures – 19 measures to support Macau, such as assisting in the establishment of a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) hub, as well as 18 measures to boost ties with Portuguese-speaking countries (PSCs), such as the granting of preferential loans.
Upon arrival, Li said that Macau will have a “brilliant future”, during his visit he told members of the public that “Macau is very beautiful, it has special characteristics,” and upon departure he urged Macau to press ahead with its economic diversification drive.*
The local government’s efforts to achieve Macau’s appropriate economic diversification are continuing unabated.
During his visit, Li attended the 5th Ministerial Conference of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Forum Macao) where he held talks with his counterparts from Portugal, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissauand Mozambique, as well as senior government representatives from Brazil, Angola and Timor-Leste.
He drew large crowds during a walkabout in Taipa’s touristy Rua da Cunha where he savoured Macau’s obligatory egg tarts and other yummy local titbits.
Among other locations, Li also visited the St Paul’s Ruins. Shortly before Li arrived at the UNESCO World-Heritage listed landmark, a tourist from Zhuhai told our newspaper: “Li is my idol. I am very excited to see him in person.”
Li was also popular with foreign statesmen, including the leaders of the world’s major countries such as Germany’s then chancellor Angela Merkel who, as a pragmatist, clearly understood China’s tremendous political and economic importance not only for her country, her compatriots’ economic wellbeing in particular, but also for global governance and world trade in general. Both met regularly for many years and are known to have maintained a good rapport.
My impression is that Li was a pragmatist as well. I am convinced that it is pragmatists who get things done because they recognise what is doable in a particular situation.
The official obituary notice jointly issued by the CPC Central Committee, the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, the State Council and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) underlines that “always bearing China’s realities in mind, Li had been upholding and improving the country’s basic socialist economic systems, and promoting economic reforms.”
Born in July 1955, Li held degrees in Law and Economics from the prestigious Peking University. He started his political ascent as a member of the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC). After holding an impressive range of Party and state posts such as governor of Henan province and member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, he finally served as premier (March 2013-March 2023) under President Xi Jinping.
The official obituary also points out that “faced with complicated domestic and international situations, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as its core, Li followed the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, maintained strategic resolve, and improved approaches to macro regulation with greater attention to anticipatory adjustments, fine-tuning and targeted regulation.”
It also states that Li “consistently advanced the reforms to develop the socialist market economy and struck a proper balance between the government and the market,” apart from having “advanced reforms in key fields such as fiscal and tax systems, financial sectors and investment, as well as science and technology, while pursuing a broader agenda of opening up across more areas and in greater depth.”
The obituary notice concludes that “after retiring… Li continued to firmly uphold the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as its core, care for the cause of the Party and the country, and firmly uphold the Party’s efforts to improve conduct, build integrity, and combat corruption.”
Last but not least, the notice “calls for turning grief into strength to rally more closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as its core, and to strive in unity for fully building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation through a Chinese path to modernisation.”
Coincidentally, around the time of Li’s demise, Foreign Minister Wang Yi was holding crucial talks in Washington, DC, with his US counterpart Antony Blinken, President Joe Biden and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
Wang, one of the world’s most experienced foreign ministers, accompanied both Li and Xi on their respective inspection visits to Macau.
While Li has tragically passed away much too early into his well-deserved retirement, his political legacy serving the Party, the people and the nation, as well as his contributions to global development, such as through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), is bound to endure.
I am quite sure that people in Macau and elsewhere will cherish their fond memories of Li.
– Harald Brüning
N.B.
*The Macau Post Daily published detailed reports about Li’s visit to Macau in its October 11-13, 2016 print editions
