Former Chinese premier Li Keqiang laid to rest

Security personnel stand guard in front of flowers laid by people. Pic/AP

Thousands of people gathered Thursday near a state funeral home in Beijing as China's former second-ranking leader, Li Keqiang, was put to rest, while a steady stream of mourners showed their respects at his childhood home in central China.

Li, China's top economic official for a decade, died last Friday of a heart attack at age 68. "The remains of Comrade Li Keqiang ... were cremated at the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery in Beijing on Thursday," Xinhua News reported.

President Xi Jinping accompanied by his wife, Peng Liyuan, were seen bowing before Li's body, which was surrounded by greenery and covered with a Communist Party flag. Li had helped navigate the world's second-largest economy through COVID.

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