Former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang Passed Away at 68
Former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang Passed Away at 68
Former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang passed away on October 27 at the age of 68. According to a report from China’s state media, Li suffered a heart attack while he was in Shanghai . The report said the medical teams failed despite making “all-out efforts to revive him”. Li Keqiang served as the Chinese premier from 2013 to 2023, he has just retired in March.
The news of the sudden loss of the ex-national leader took Chinese people by surprise on an otherwise uneventful Friday morning. Alongside state media outlets, Chinese netizens are mourning in the comment sections of various threads, remembering the ex-premier for the challenges he weathered during the last years of his office, including the trade war waged by the US, COVID, and the Russo-Ukrainian conflict.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi Meets US SecState Antony Blinken
On October 26, the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington D.C., marking the first day of Wang’s three-day US visit. In a pre-meeting press conference, Wang stated that China and the US need an “in-depth and comprehensive” dialogue to help reduce misunderstandings and stabilize the relationship. “There will always be some noise in China-US relations,” Wang said.
Wang is expected to meet the US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Friday, focusing on tense situations in regions of the South China Sea and Middle East, and a re-open of military talks. He is also expected to meet US President Joe Biden on the same day. The public considers that Wang’s visit to the White House will pave the path for a Xi-Biden meeting in San Francisco, where the summit of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation will be held next month.
Job Applicant Accuses Renowned Restaurant Chain of Discrimination
On October 26th, Haidilao, a renowned Chinese restaurant chain, rejected a job applicant because she did not meet the weight limit, sparking heated debate. The applicant said she applied for a dishwasher position at a Haidilao. During the online job interview, she was asked about her height and weight. With a height of 5’6″ and a weight of 176 lbs, she was subsequently informed that she failed to get the job.
Netizens believe that Haidilao’s rejection amounts to discrimination against overweight women, contributing to body image anxieties. In response, a Haidilao recruitment representative suggested that the refusal may have been due to a lack of appropriate work uniforms. They clarified that such requirements were common across their nationwide branches, although specific details were not provided in the job posting.