[Beijing Diary] What the People Miss

On the morning of the 2nd, the atmosphere at the funeral of former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang held in Beijing was quite solemn. Ahead of the cremation ceremony for Li, who passed away from a heart attack on the 27th of last month, the air in Beijing had quietly settled.

Near the Babaoshan Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery where the body was laid to rest, noticeable mourning activities were not allowed. Even offering chrysanthemums was prohibited for ordinary mourners. Since the funeral was attended by President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan, as well as China’s top leadership including Li Chang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi, and Han Zheng, security was noticeably tightened.

Public evaluations of former Premier Li’s achievements are mixed. Some criticize him as an economic chief whose hands were tied, overshadowed by President Xi for nearly a decade as the second-in-command. Others view him as having played a role in speaking out and checking absolute power. What is certain is that Li ultimately relinquished all political power under Xi Jinping’s one-man rule by the end of March.

In August 2003, having a conversation with residents in Xinxiang City, Henan Province. (Photo by Xinhua News Agency)

Inspecting the situation in the affected areas during the Sichuan earthquake in May 2008. (Photo by Xinhua News Agency)

Li’s life and related photos held the top two spots on Baidu, China’s largest portal site, for more than two days on the 2nd and 3rd. Given that all media outlets simultaneously published the same narratives and photos, it is highly likely that this was a carefully calculated and purposeful production, similar to other high-level official reports.

Nevertheless, there is a common atmosphere visible in the photos posted in mourning for Li. The expressions of the Laobaixing (老百姓, ordinary people) who sat with him appear quite relaxed. The Laobaixing who met Li Keqiang during his time as Communist Party Secretary or Vice Premier of the State Council naturally portrayed everyday scenes. Li himself shows a variety of emotions?laughing heartily or furrowing his brow?unlike the current high-ranking officials who all seem to wear the same expression as if stamped from a mold.

It is not easy to find a passionate wave of mourning for Li on Chinese social networking services (SNS). Notices were issued, including in some university areas, to refrain from mourning activities, and some photos and posts were deleted immediately after being uploaded. The most convincing analysis is that this was to preempt the possibility of mourning turning into anti-government protests. China has always handled public sentiment with extreme solemnity and control whenever external attention is focused on it. This is a principle upheld by the Party to prevent the vast country from fracturing, as well as a limitation faced by the mainland.

President Xi Jinping also once tried to approach the people informally with a pro-people approach. In late 2013, his first year as state president, he was seen lining up at a restaurant to buy dumplings and inspecting sites holding an umbrella with his pants rolled up on a rainy day. The people miss such a leader and are commemorating Li more intensely by piling chrysanthemums into mountains in his hometown and honoring him with the epitaph “People’s Good Premier.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.