Advertisement
Japan laments loss of China’s ex-premier Li Keqiang as go-between to mend frosty ties
- Li was seen as a crucial channel of direct communications and a driver of closer economic ties between Japan and China
- Another Chinese leader in Li’s mould is not expected to emerge in an era of Xi Jinping’s rising authoritarianism, analysts say
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
9
Japan’s political and business worlds have expressed their sorrow at the sudden death on October 27 of former Chinese premier Li Keqiang, one of the few senior Communist Party leaders in the last decade that Tokyo perceived to be open to more constructive trade and political links.
Advertisement
Li’s political star had waned in recent years before his exit from office in March, coinciding with Sino-Japanese relations deteriorating over issues ranging from territorial disputes, the arrest of Japanese businessmen on espionage charges, trade rows to security concerns.
Japan’s extension of its condolences to China reflected not only its desire to mend frosty bilateral ties but also a yearning for the emergence of another Chinese leader like Li, who was seen by Tokyo as a key intermediary between the two countries during his years in office, according to analysts.
Following Beijing’s announcement of the death of 68-year-old Li from a heart attack, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida last Friday sent a message of condolence to President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang saying he was “deeply saddened” at the news.
Kishida pointed out that Li had visited Japan in 2018 to mark the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Japan-China Treaty of Peace and Friendship, adding that Li had “long played an important role in the development of Japan-China relations”.
Flags across China, including in Hong Kong and Macau, will fly at half-mast on Thursday when Li’s body will be cremated. All party and state leaders will bid Li farewell before the cremation but there will be no top-level memorial meeting in Beijing for the funeral.
03:31
‘People’s Premier’: former Chinese premier Li Keqiang dies of a heart attack at age 68
‘People’s Premier’: former Chinese premier Li Keqiang dies of a heart attack at age 68
In a statement issued last Friday, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China said: “We strongly felt Li’s earnest expectations for Japan-China cooperation. We appreciate the many contributions he made toward friendship and exchanges between Japan and China, as well as economic cooperation.”
Advertisement
Advertisement