Former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang passed away suddenly two years ago, and the cause of his death has been continuously questioned. Reports indicate that Gu Wanming, a former Xinhua News Agency journalist who had publicly called for an investigation into the cause of Li Keqiang’s death, has been sentenced by the authorities and had his retirement benefits revoked.
On February 9, 2025, independent commentator Cai Shenkun posted on an overseas platform X, stating that Gu Wanming suffered a heavy price for publicly questioning the cause of Li Keqiang’s death, as he not only received a prison sentence but also lost his retirement benefits. (Related links)
The post also included an announcement from the Chinese Xinhua News Agency Personnel Office dated December 10, 2024, regarding the cancellation of Gu Wanming’s retirement benefits. In November 2024, Gu Wanming was sentenced to one year in prison for “provoking trouble.” The official cancellation of his retirement benefits stated that he is no longer considered a retired employee of Xinhua News Agency.
Previously, on October 27, 2023, Chinese authorities claimed that Li Keqiang “died of a sudden heart attack” while “resting in Shanghai” at the age of 68. At that time, public opinion widely believed that the cause of Li Keqiang’s death was not straightforward. Some questioned whether he died directly or indirectly as a result of internal power struggles, with some suggestions pointing to being assassinated by Xi Jinping’s loyalists, although these claims could not be verified.
On October 30, 2023, an open letter titled “Investigate the Death of Li Keqiang and Provide an Explanation to the People of the Country” surfaced online, purportedly written by Communist Party member Gu Wanming. Gu Wanming is a veteran journalist of Xinhua News Agency and graduated from the Journalism Department of Fudan University in Shanghai.
This open letter presented five demands for investigating the death of Li Keqiang, including: 1. Stop arranging for the cremation of the body pending investigation; 2. Thoroughly investigate the entire treatment process and disclose all information to provide an explanation to the Party and the people of the country; 3. Investigate and hold accountable all relevant personnel; 4. Perform a post-mortem examination on the body; 5. Establish a funeral committee to give Li Keqiang the appropriate funeral arrangements.
The open letter pointed fingers at the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee: Firstly, it argued that Li Keqiang’s visit to Shanghai for “rest” was evidently approved and arranged by the central authorities; otherwise, he would not have been able to leave Beijing and enter Shanghai.
Secondly, Li Keqiang arrived in Shanghai for “rest” on October 25 and died suddenly on the very next day, October 26, with reports suggesting he passed away in the afternoon or evening, with the rescue efforts delayed until 00:10 on October 27. Due to the abruptness of his death, many Party members and the public found it incomprehensible, with many facts left unclear, signifying potentially serious issues.
Thirdly, the hasty cremation of Li Keqiang’s remains is likely to generate negative repercussions domestically and internationally.
The open letter demanded the autopsy of Li Keqiang’s body to be conducted by authoritative experts and renowned doctors.
The letter also mentioned that within the CCP, “ambitious, conspiratorial, and corrupt elements” targeted Li Keqiang, wishing to eliminate him swiftly to “usurp power within the Party.” It called for uncovering the truth behind Li Keqiang’s death and punishing those individuals accordingly.
At the time, Chinese affairs commentator Tang Jingyuan told Dajiyuan that the request from this individual within the system to investigate Li Keqiang’s death was a significant event, indicating that there were many speculations about Li Keqiang’s death among the public. While this person was just an ordinary Party member with no authority or influence, by issuing this open letter, he effectively lit a fuse.
Following Li Keqiang’s passing, spontaneous large-scale mourning activities occurred at his former residence in Hefei, Anhui, his ancestral home in Dingyuan, and the places he had worked in Zhengzhou, Henan. Subsequently, the relevant memorial events were tightly controlled by the authorities.