Li Peng was a prominent and controversial Chinese politician who served as the fourth Premier of the People's Republic of China from 1987 to 1998. An engineer by training, he rose through the ranks of the Communist Party, holding significant power in the energy and state planning sectors. He is most notoriously known internationally for his role in the government's crackdown on the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, where he declared martial law. After his premiership, he continued to wield influence as the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress until his retirement in 2003.