LI KEQIANG NAMED CHINA'S NEW PREMIER
BEIJING, March 15, 2013 (AFP) - China's parliament installed bureaucrat Li Keqiang as premier Friday, putting him in charge of running the world's secondlargest economy in a final step of a landmark power transition.
Li, who is expected to be in office for a decade, faces the challenge of weaning the country towards more balanced development, with domestic consumption by a larger middle class playing a greater role.
“I announce that comrade Li Keqiang has been chosen as premier of the People's Republic of China,” said Yan Junqi, a vicechairwoman of the National People's Congress (NPC).
To applause from delegates in
Li, Xi and other top leaders took charge of the Communist party, where real power lies, four months ago
the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Li stood up, bowed and shook hands with Xi Jinping, who was formally appointed as China's new president Thursday, and his predecessor as premier Wen Jiabao.
Li received 2,940 votes out of 2,949 cast, with three votes against and six abstentions. Like Xi's election the day before, the result had never been in doubt. Li, Xi and other top leaders took charge of the Communist party, where real power lies, four months ago, and their selection to the top government posts during this week's NPC formalises their authority.
The premier is technically nominated by the president and reviewed by the legislators, and the term officially lasts five years but is normally followed by a second one, totalling a decade in office. However, Li, a 57-year-old English-speaking career bureaucrat, will oversee a sprawling portfolio of domestic and economic affairs.