The sudden death of former China’s No. 2 leader Li Keqiang has shocked many

By KANIS LEUNG
Associated Press

HONG KONG (AP) — The sudden death of China’s former No. 2 leader Li Keqiang has shocked many people in the country. They are paying tribute to the former official who promised market-oriented reforms but was politically sidelined. Li worked alongside President Xi Jinping for a decade, helping to navigate the world’s second-largest economy through challenges such as tensions with the United States and the COVID-19 pandemic. Li died Friday of a heart attack at age 68. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japan’s embassy in China are among those who’ve expressed condolences.