China lowers flags to half mast on former premier Li's cremation day

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.

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. "In memory of comrade Li Keqiang, flags were flown at half-mast at Tiananmen Square in the capital," CCTV said in a report accompanied by a photo of the country's flag being lowered in front of the monumental gate, against the backdrop of a foggy grey morning.

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.