ANKARA

China's former Premier Li Keqiang died early Friday following a heart attack, according to state media.

Li, 68, had recently been taking a rest in Shanghai, state-run CCTV News reported.

On Thursday, he suddenly suffered from a heart attack. Despite all efforts, he passed away at 12.10 a.m. local time on Friday (1610GMT Thursday).

Li, who served as China’s premier from 2013 to 2023, was also the second most powerful member of the ruling Chinese Communist Party from 2012 to 2022.​​​​​​​

He was born in Hefei, Anhui province in 1955 and was married to Cheng Hong, a professor in English Language and Literature.​​​​​​​