For some, the death of former premier Li Keqiang on October 27 signaled the passing of a class of Chinese leaders steeped in pragmatism rather than ideology. Among the better-known indicators of Li’s approach was his singular way of assessing the health of China’s economy. Instead of relying on the country’s official GDP numbers, the former premier used a three-pronged proxy measurement for growth. Over time, this so-called ‘Li Keqiang index’ became widely watched by economists, inv