Nation & World Glance

Will China’s next premier be a moderating influence on Xi?

HONG KONG — The pro-business track record of the man poised to become China’s top economic official will make his term a test of whether he might moderate President Xi Jinping ’s tendency to intervene.

Li Qiang, 63, who is expected to be chosen China’s premier on Saturday, will have to grapple with a slowdown in the world’s second-largest economy, which is dealing with emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, weak global demand for exports, lingering U.S. tariff hikes, a shrinking workforce and an aging population.

Xi, who has bolstered the state sector, has said that he wants the ruling party to return to its “original mission” as China’s economic, social and cultural leader. That has been accompanied by tighter control over some industries, more aggressive censorship of TV and pop culture and the spread of a “social credit” system that penalizes the public for offenses ranging from fraud to littering. Xi took China’s most powerful role in 2012.

Now, observers are watching whether Li can roll out pragmatic policies during his five-year term. But the process of political decision-making in China is opaque, making analyzing the country’s direction a difficult matter for outsiders.

Expectations are based on Li’s performance as the party chief of the country’s largest city — Shanghai — and as the governor of neighboring Zhejiang province, a hub of small and mid-sized business. And, perhaps more importantly, his close ties with Xi.

Russian missiles target cities across Ukraine, officials say

KYIV, Ukraine — Russia unleashed a massive missile barrage on cities across Ukraine early Thursday, targeting energy infrastructure facilities, Ukrainian officials and media said.

Air raid sirens wailed all over Ukraine in the first such missile attack in weeks.

The governor of the northeastern Kharkiv region, Oleh Syniehubov, reported more than 15 strikes on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city.

“Objects of critical infrastructure is again in the crosshairs of the occupants,” he said in a Telegram post.

The governor of the southern Odesa region, Maksym Marchenko, also reported strikes on Odesa, saying that energy facilities and residential buildings were hit.