China appoints Li Qiang as new premier | World News

Former Shanghai party chief Li Qiang was sworn in as China’s premier on Saturday, succeeding the outgoing Li Keqiang after a ten-year term and facing the daunting task of reviving an economy battered by three years of Covid controls and global uncertainty.

Li Keqiang, 63, is considered close to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who won an unprecedented third term as president on Friday and joined allies in key government posts.

Li would be the second-highest-ranking official in China’s political system.

Li Keqiang is also the first prime minister who has never served in the central government since the founding of modern China under Communist leadership in 1949.

Lee received a total of 2,936 votes, with three delegates opposing his appointment and eight abstaining.

“Chinese President Xi Jinping signed a presidential decree appointing Li Qiang as premier at the National People’s Congress of China on Saturday,” state news agency Xinhua said in a report.

Separately, Zhang Youxia and He Weidong were approved as vice chairmen of the Central Military Commission (CMC) at the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) annual session on Saturday.

“Nearly 3,000 deputies to the National People’s Congress voted to approve CMC Chairman Xi Jinping’s nomination. Li Shangfu, Liu Zhenli, Miao Hua and Zhang Shengmin were approved as CMC members,” Xinhua reported.