[1/2] China's Premier Li Keqiang waves as he arrives for a news conference after the closing ceremony of China's National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, March 15, 2017.
REUTERS/Damir Sagolj Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Nov 2 (Reuters) - China ordered the lowering of the national flag at Tiananmen Square in the heart of the Chinese capital Beijing on Thursday, when the remains of former premier Li Keqiang are scheduled to be cremated, state media said.
The national flag will be flown at half mast across the country, the official Xinhua News Agency said on Tuesday, including at Beijing's Great Hall of the People, the foreign ministry as well as seats of local governments across the country, and diplomatic missions.
Li, a former economist and pro-reform leader who served as the premier for 10 years before retiring in March, died of a heart attack in Shanghai last Friday and his remains were transferred to the capital the same day.
Reporting by Liz Lee and Shanghai newsroom; Editing by Christian SchmollingerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons:
Li, Damir Sagolj, Li Keqiang, Liz Lee, Christian Schmollinger
Organizations:
People's Congress, of, People, REUTERS, Rights, Xinhua News Agency, Thomson
Locations:
Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, Shanghai