Xi ally picked for China premier
Parliament OKs Li Qiang, putting him in charge of economy
BEIJING — China on Saturday named a close confidant of top leader Xi Jinping as the country’s next premier nominally in charge of the world’s second-largest economy now facing some of its worst prospects in years.
Li Qiang was nominated by Xi and appointed to the position at Saturday morning’s session of the National People’s Congress, China’s ceremonial parliament.
Li is known for having enforced a “zero-covid” lockdown on Shanghai last spring as party boss of the Chinese financial hub, proving his loyalty to Xi in the face of complaints from residents over their lack of access to food, medical care and basic services.
Li, 63, came to know Xi during the future president’s term as head of Li’s native Zhejiang, a relatively wealthy southeastern province now known as a technology and manufacturing powerhouse.
Prior to the pandemic, Li built up a reputation in Shanghai and Zhejiang before that as friendly to private industry, even as Xi enforced tighter political controls and anti-covid curbs, as well as more control over e-commerce and other tech companies.
As premier, Li will be charged with reviving a sluggish economy still emerging from the covid-19 pandemic and confronted with weak global demand for exports, lingering U.S. tariff hikes, a shrinking workforce and an aging population.
He takes on the job as authority of the premier and the State Council, China’s Cabinet, has been steadily eroding as Xi shifts more powers to bodies directly under the ruling Communist Party.
There was no indication that members of the National People’s Congress had any option other than to endorse Li and other officials picked by the Communist Party to fill other posts.
Unlike Xi, who received the body’s full endorsement, Li’s tally included three opposed and eight abstentions.