30 Interesting Facts We Bet You Didn’t Know About Li Keqiang

31 December 2018, 4:07 pm EST By Ruby Karnick

Li Keqiang, the current Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, is one of the leading figures behind China's National Security, Financial and Economic Affairs, Deepening Reforms and Foreign Affairs. Here are some simple facts to know about the Chinese Politician:

He is the second-ranked member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China, and also a major part of the "fifth generation of Chinese leadership" along with General Secretary Xi Jinping.
In June 1998, he became the youngest Chinese provincial governor at the age of 3, when he was appointed as the governor of Henan.
His period as Governor of Henan is known for the economic development, as he led the transformation of the poor inland region into attractive area of investment.
Henan rose in the national GDP rankings from the position of 28th in the 1990s, to 18th in the year 2004, when he left to work as Party Secretary in Liaoning in December.
Li, as Party Secretary, is known for the "Five-points to one Line" project, through which he linked Dandong and Dalian, as well as other ports into a comprehensive network to improve trade flow.
He is described as the pioneer behind the unconventional economic measurement indicator "Li Keqiang index," which is said to bypass the unreliable official GDP numbers. The three indicators used were the railway cargo volume, total loans disbursed by banks and electricity consumption.
Li Keqiang was born on July 1, 1955 in Hefei, Anhui province. In the year 1974, he graduated from Hefei No.8 Senior High School and eventually joined the Communist Party of China.
He later became the party head of the local production team and was awarded the honor of Outstanding Individual in the Study of Mao Zedong Thought during this time.
He received is LLB from the School of Law at Peking University, where he became the president of the university's student council.
Li also became the Communist Youth League secretary during his time at the Peking University, and entered the top leadership of the national organization of the Communist Youth League (CYL) in the year 1983.

Ten years later, he became the organization's First Secretary, a position in which he served until 1998, and is still a representative member of the first generation to have risen from the CYL leadership.
Li earned a PhD in economics in the year 1995, and his doctoral dissertation was awarded the Sun Yefang Prize, the highest prize in economics in China.
It was reported that during his tenure as the Governor of Henan, he refused to attend any banquets or fancy events which was not related to government activities.
During his tenure as the Governor of Henan, the occurrence of three major fires in the province, led to an increase in a public sense of his "bad luck."
His government in Henan was also reported to be relatively ineffective in curbing HIV/AIDS epidemic, which was a serious problem in the rural areas of the province.
During his first tenure in Politburo Standing Committee at 17th Party Congress, he took on most important portfolios in the Chinese government such as the government budgets, the environment, the health, economic development and land and resources.
It was during this period that he took over the position of Head of Central Commissions, through which he led the projects like Three Gorges Dam and the South-North Water Transfer Project.
He was also the principal lieutenant to Premier Wen Jiabao, from 2007 to 2012, for a broad portfolios of information technology, northeastern China revitalization, climate change, developing the Chinese far west, and the energy resources.
His first major appearance internationally was said to be at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in the year 2010, which was considered to be an litmus test for him,
At the WEF, he briefed on China's commitment to green energy, modernizing key strategic industries, sustainable development and decreasing the income gap, while calling upon a global governance structure as it was "more effective of the changes in the global political and economic landscape."

In August 2011, Li went on an official visit to Hong Kong, including a trip to the University of Hong Kong, as a part of the university's 100th anniversary celebrations, during which the heightened security and political sensitivities led to the Hong Kong 818 incident, a case of alleged civil rights violations.
During his visit to the school, the Hong Kong Police Force had a complete lock-down and takeover of the entire campus, and it was reported that three students who attempted to approach Li was blocked and thrown to ground by the Police Force, which led to controversies.
Li was elected as Premier on March 15, 2013, by the 12th National People's Congress, replacing Wen Jiabao, who retired after serving for two terms.
Of the nearly 3,000 legislators assembled at the Congress, 2,940 voted for him, three against, and six abstained. He is also expected to serve as Premier for two terms like his predecessor Wen.
He made his first foreign visit to India on May 18, 2013 in a bid to resolve border disputes and to stimulate economic relations. During Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to China in 2015, Li and Modi took a selfie together at the Temple of Heaven.
Li was reappointed Premier of China, on March 18, 2018, receiving 2,964 votes in favour and just two against by the National People's Congress. He also became Xi's foremost lieutenant, being named Vice Chairman of the National Security Commission.
In the year 1983, Li married to Cheng Hong, a professor at Capital University of Economics and Business in Beijing. The duo reportedly met while Cheng was doing her advanced degree at Peking University.
The couple have a daughter, who is reportedly studying in the US. His father-in-law, Cheng Jinrui rose to be a senior official in the Communist Youth League.
In the year 2013, Li was ranked at #14 of the 2013 Forbes Magazine’s List of The World’s Most Powerful People.
He is often considered to be a carbon copy of Hu Jintao, the paramount leader of China as well as his mentor, for the similarities in their style and philosophy. He is also renowned for his sharp intellectual ability to turn potential enemies into allies.