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China has put the finishing touches on a sweeping leadership reshuffle that has been years in the making and puts trusted allies of leader Xi Jinping in key spots throughout the administration.
On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, China’s rubber-stamp parliament, the National People’s Congress, approved personnel changes in the government that are largely seen as having been orchestrated by Xi, who has become the country’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong.
Here are some of the key players. Li Qiang — Premier
Li was Xi’s chief-of-staff when Xi was in charge of Zhejiang province in the mid-2000s. He went on to become governor of Zhejiang, and Communist Party boss of neighboring Jiangsu province and Shanghai, before being appointed premier. While working in the region known as Yangtze River Delta, Li championed entrepreneurship and private business. But in implementing the chaotic and unpopular Shanghai COVID lockdown last spring, he demonstrated another side of who he is: a loyal follower of Xi Jinping, regardless of the cost. Li is the first premier to be given the job without serving a day as vice premier since Zhou Enlai, the first person to hold the position after the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. Li ranks second in the party hierarchy.Ding Xuexiang — Executive vice-premier
As head of the party’s General Office, effectively Xi’s chief-of-staff, Ding has been a crucial part of Xi’s inner circle for the past few years. He often can be seen with Xi in photos and in reports on the leader’s activities. Ding’s career was built in Shanghai, and when Xi was there on a brief stint as party chief in 2007, Ding was his secretary. In his new role, Ding is expected to help oversee the economy. Ding is sixth in the party hierarchy.He Lifeng — Vice premier
He Lifeng is expected to be the point man for China’s interactions with the United States on trade and investment. He replaces the urbane Liu He. In recent years, He has been in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission, which is China’s state economic planning agency.
