China: Li Qiang, Xi Jinping’s trusted confidant, appointed prime minister

Li Qiang, considered one of Xi Jinping’s closest confidants, was appointed China’s new premier on Saturday, March 11. In a vote by delegates gathered at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Li Qiang, the sole candidate for the position, received 2,936 votes in favor, three against, and eight abstentions.

Li Qiang, 63, a former Communist Party official in Shanghai whose image was somewhat tarnished in the spring during the chaotic lockdown of his city, succeeds Li Keqiang, who had been in office since 2013. The Chinese premier heads the State Council. His role is traditionally associated with the day-to-day management of the country and the conduct of macroeconomic policy.

Xi’s confidence

Li Qiang, who was propelled to the position of second-in-command of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in October, has no experience at the central government level, unlike almost all former premiers. However, he has a distinguished career in local government and has held important leadership positions in the wealthy coastal provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangsu. Li Qiang served as Xi Jinping’s chief of staff when the latter headed the party in Zhejiang from 2004 to 2007. His rapid promotions since then reflect the high level of trust placed in him by China’s leader.

On Saturday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Xi Jinping and Li Qiang appeared cordial during the vote, exchanging pleasantries with smiles. Li Qiang takes office at a time when the world’s second-largest economy is facing a marked slowdown, weakened by nearly three years of an inflexible “zero Covid” policy. For 2023, the government has set a GDP growth target of “around 5%”, one of the lowest in decades. Outgoing Premier Li Keqiang, an economist by training, saw his economic reform plans hampered by Xi Jinping’s growing authority. AFP

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