Xi Faces ‘Delicate Political Moment’ in Handling Grief Over Li
- Top leaders’ deaths have been a catalyst for unrest in China
- Li’s passing comes as Beijing faces economic, political issues
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The sudden death of ex-Premier Li Keqiang has handed his old boss Xi Jinping fresh risks, as an outpouring of emotion for a popular reformer threatens to spill into discontent over a slowing economy.
Li’s death from a heart attack, age 68, comes as a property crisis jeopardizes the savings of millions and unemployment hits a record high among China’s youth.