Former Chinese PM Li Peng dies, aged 90

As an architect of the infamous 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, Li crushed the protesting students with an iron hand resulting in 241 deaths.

Beijing:Former Chinese Prime Minister Li Peng, infamous for his role in the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, has died China's media reported on Tuesday.

Li died of illness on Monday evening in Beijing. He was 90.

A cautious and uninspiring figure, Li was a keen political infighter who spent two decades at the pinnacle of power before retiring in 2002.

He left behind a legacy of extended and broad-based economic growth coupled with authoritarian political controls.

More than 250,000 troops were sent to the capital to crush the protesting students in the Tiananmen Square. According to a conservative estimate, more than 241 died in the massacre.