China's former premier Li Keqiang dead at 68

An obituary will be published later, CCTV added.

The former Chinese premier and head of China's cabinet served under President Xi Jinping for a decade from 2013, retiring in March.

The elite Peking University-educated economist was once viewed as a top Communist Party leadership contender, but became increasingly sidelined by Xi in recent years.

He memorably said in 2020 that over 600 million people in China earned less than the equivalent of $US140 per month, sparking a wider debate on poverty and income inequality.