China censors public grief for ex-premier Li Keqiang, urges citizens to stick to official narrative

Using its draconian censorship law, China is strictly controlling the crowd who are paying tribute to China’s former premier Li Keqiang who passed away on Friday. According to The Guardian, the Chinese administration is taking stringent measures to prevent a mass outpouring of grief that could lead to social unrest. The former Chinese premier suffered a sudden heart attack in Shanghai and died on Friday morning. Following his death, there have been public displays of grief, particularly in his home city of Hefei, in Anhui province.

In Hefei, hundreds of mourners laid flowers to pay tribute to the ex-premier. Not only this, social media is also filled with tributes for Li, who was touted as a force for economic liberalisation in the highest echelons of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). However, discussions about him are being strictly censored to ensure that talks about Li’s legacy adhere to the official narrative. According to a leaked memo published by the China Digital Times shows that media outlets have been instructed to “pay particular attention to overly effusive comments” regarding Li’s death.

Comments on Li’s ideological stance are getting deleted

As per the memo, many of the comments that referenced the former premier’s stance on economic reforms were deleted. One comment on Weibo quoted Li was censored. “Whatever the market can handle, let the market do more of,” the now-deleted quotation reads. Despite being a Chinese premier for a solid decade, it is still not clear whether Li will receive an official memorial in addition to regular funeral arrangements. During a press briefing on Friday, spokesperson Mao Ning declined to elucidate on any plans for a state memorial. According to The Guardian, the Xi Jinping administration is mainly censoring students across the country. 

Screenshots circulating on social media show a message from the youth league committee at Hainan University that instructed the student to only share the official obituary of Li which was shared by the Communist Party of China (CCP). The notice mentioned that any offline gathering to commemorate the legacy of the Li is “strictly prohibited”. These restrictions indicate that the Xi Jinping administration is tightening its grip now more than ever before.