Image source: China Visual

BEIJING, February 27 (TMTPOST) —— Li Yining, a leading economist at Peking University, passed away at the age of 92 at 19:31 on Monday.

Peking University has set up a bereavement working group to carry out relevant work.  The whole school mourned deeply for Professor Li.  

He was also a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), former Vice Chairman of the China Democratic League, former Deputy Director of the Financial and Economic Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), former Deputy Director of the Committee for Economic Affairs of the CPPCC National Committee, winner of the "Reform Pioneer" medal, and an active advocate of Chinese economic restructuring.

Professor Li, whose ancestral home is Yizheng, Jiangsu Province, was born in Nanjing in November 1930.   He graduated from the School of Economics at Peking University in 1955.  After graduation, he worked at the university as a reference clerk, teaching assistant, lecturer, associate professor, professor, doctoral supervisor, Dean of the School of Economics of Peking University, and Dean of Guanghua School of Management of Peking University.

Professor Li was a member of the Standing Committee of the Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth NPC, Deputy Director of the Financial and Economic Committee of the NPC, and Deputy Director of the Constitution and the Law Committee of the NPC from 1988 to 2002, and Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of the Tenth CPPCC National Committee and Deputy Director of the Committee on Economic Affairs of the CPPCC from 2003 to 2007, Member of the Standing Committee of the 11th CPPCC National Committee and Deputy Director of the Committee for Economic Affairs of the CPPCC National Committee from 2008 to 2012. He has been a member of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee since 2013.

He has written many books on economic theory and published a lot of related articles. As one of the first scholars who put forward the theory of shareholding system reform, he raised the disequilibrium theory of China's economic development and carried on the theoretical discussion on economic transformation, which had a profound impact on the reform and development of the Chinese economy. Professor Li also presided over the drafting of the Securities Law and the Securities Investment Fund Law.

Professor Li has won many awards for his outstanding contributions to economics and other academic fields.   These include the Sun Yefang Economic Science Award, Young and Middle-aged Experts with Outstanding Contributions, the Golden Triangle Award, the Outstanding Achievement Award of Scientific Research given by the State Education Commission, the International Science and Technology Cooperation Award for Environment and Development, the 15th Fukuoka Prize -- Academic Research Award (Japan), etc. He received an honorary Doctorate of Social Science from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 1998. He has been invited to make speeches at many universities and research institutions at home and abroad.

Professor Li's major books include Economic Reform and Development in China, Unbalanced Chinese Economy, The Strategic Choice for China’s Prosperity, Beyond Market and Government: Influence of Ethical Factors on Economy, Chinese Economy in Disequilibrium, and The Chinese Path to Economic Dual Transformation.