Portrait of Li Peng, former chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee. Li died of illness in Beijing at the age of 91 at 11:11 pm Monday, an official statement said Tuesday. [Photo/Xinhua]

Former premier Li Peng died of illness in Beijing at the age of 91 at 11:11 pm on Monday, an official statement said on Tuesday.

Li was an excellent member of the Communist Party of China, a time-tested and loyal Communist soldier, a prominent proletarian revolutionary and statesman, as well as an outstanding leader of the Party and the country, the statement said.

Li joined the CPC in 1945. From 1979 to 1983, he served in several ministerial and vice-ministerial positions.

He had proposed the advanced development of the country's electric power system and pushed for significant progress in China's power station construction, electricity production and power grid management.

Li was an outstanding leader in the energy sector and an important founder of nuclear power development in China, the statement noted.

He assumed the post of vice-premier in 1983. In 1985, he was elected a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee at the Fifth Plenary Session of the 12th CPC Central Committee. He was in charge of work in such areas as energy, transportation and key construction projects.

Li also participated in the discussion of policies regarding energy and transportation in the 7th Five-Year Plan (1986-1990) and pushed forward the establishment of a synthetic and unified transportation system.

Li was appointed as premier in 1988 at a meeting of the National People's Congress, the top legislature.

He had thoroughly implemented the policy of rectification and deepening reform, explored new methods of macro-control over the national economy and therefore helped lead the economy into a new era of development.

During the political turbulence in 1989, Li took a clear-cut stand and adopted resolute measures to end the unrest and resume domestic stability, the statement said. He played an important role in the political battle that concerned the fate of the Party and the country, the statement said.

He was reappointed as premier in 1993 and actively supported, promoted and implemented the reform and opening-up policy.

Under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee, Li was in charge of formulating the 9th Five-Year Plan (1996-2000) and arranging the construction of a series of major national projects, thus promoting the sustainable, rapid and sound development of the national economy.

In 1998, he was elected as chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee. He retired from the post in 2003.

Li played important roles in scientific and democratic decision-making as well as the construction of the Three Gorges Dam－a massive flood-control and hydropower project on the Yangtze River－the statement said.

Li was an important founder, loyal practitioner and active promoter of China's socialist market economy system. He appropriately handled reform, development and stability with consideration of China's conditions, it added.

He also placed high priority on poverty relief work and showed great concern for the conditions of workers laid off from State-owned enterprises.

The statement said that Li firmly supported the Party's anti-corruption campaign. He served the people wholeheartedly and fought for the cause of Communism, the statement said.

Li's death is a heavy loss for the Party and the country, it said.