China’s No. 2 leader, Premier Li Qiang, visited Tangshan City on Tuesday to mourn the victims of the Tangshan earthquake that occurred at 3:42 a.m. on July 28, 1976, which caused 242,000 deaths. This commemorative event is typically attended in person by the President of China.
According to official media reports, Li Qiang visited on behalf of President Xi Jinping. At the same time, Xi Jinping received Slovak President Peter Pellegrini in Beijing.
The 7.8-magnitude earthquake is one of the deadliest in history. Official statistics show that more than 242,769 people in Tangshan perished, another 164,000 were seriously injured, and thousands of children were orphaned.
A government seismologist once stated that aftershocks from the Tangshan earthquake even continued into the 2020s, including a 5.1-magnitude earthquake in 2020.
Xi Jinping visited this city, located 150 kilometers east of Beijing, on the 40th anniversary of the Tangshan earthquake. At the 20th and 30th anniversaries, then-Presidents Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin also visited the site in person.
Now 73 years old, Xi Jinping has become much more selective about leaving the capital for official trips. In the years before the outbreak of the pandemic, he would visit a dozen or so countries annually, but since 2026, he has only made one overseas trip.
Li Qiang laid a flower basket at the Tangshan Earthquake Ruins Memorial Park for victims and rescuers who died in the earthquake, and bowed three times in front of the memorial wall.
Li Qiang also visited the Tangshan City Paraplegic Nursing Home—which Xi Jinping had visited in 2016—to visit earthquake survivors who were paralyzed.
Li Qiang said: “General Secretary Xi Jinping is very concerned about everyone and has always been thinking about your health and living conditions.” He added: “This time he specifically entrusted me to come and visit you.”
“Seeing everyone in good spirits today brings me great comfort. The spirit of resilience and optimistic attitude to life you all exhibit is truly admirable. I wish you all good health, happiness, and an ever-improving life.”