He was 68 years old.

Li, who was nominally China’s No. 2 leader until late last year, served as the country’s premier – traditionally in charge of the economy – for a decade from 2013 to March this year under strongman leader Xi Jinping.

Li’s time in the top echelons of China’s Communist Party came to a close last October, when he was not named to the party’s Central Committee during a twice-a-decade leadership reshuffle that saw Chinese leader Xi Jinping surround himself with key allies.

Li, then 67, was one year short of the unofficial retirement age for senior Chinese Communist Party leaders.

In his final year in power, the Peking University-educated economist had been a strong voice warning of challenges to China’s economy amid widespread COVID-19 lockdowns.

He backed efforts to boost employment and maintain economic stability. (BBC)