China’s parliament on Saturday confirmed Li Qiang as the country’s new prime minister, tasked with running the world’s second-largest economy.
The former Shanghai party leader replaced Li Keqiang at the end of his two-term limit.
Li Qiang received 2,936 votes in favour, 3 against and 8 abstentions, according to the total shown on screens inside the Great Hall of the People.
A professional official, Li was revealed as China’s No. 2 choice at a major party congress in October when Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled a list of leaders made up of loyalists.
Considered by many to be pragmatic and business-friendly, the 63-year-old faces the daunting task of underpinning China’s uneven economic recovery after three years of containing COVID-19, weak consumer and private sector confidence, as well as global headwinds. He took office amid rising tensions with the West, including moves by the United States to block China’s access to key technologies and as many global companies diversify their supply chains to avoid contact with China, given the political risks and disruptions of the COVID-19 era.
China’s economy grew only 3 percent last year, and on the day the parliament opened, Beijing set a modest growth target of around 5 percent for 2023, the lowest target in nearly three decades.
Li’s expectations are based on his reputation as party leader of the country’s largest city, Shanghai, and governor of neighbouring Zhejiang province – a hub for small and medium-sized enterprises – as well as, and possibly more importantly, on his close relationship with Xi Jinping.
Originally from Zhejiang, Li’s working relationship with Xi dates back to the 2000s when the latter was appointed party secretary there. After Xi finally moved to Beijing and was appointed general secretary, Li was promoted to governor of Zhejiang province in 2013, the No. 2 position in the provincial government.
Three years later, Li was appointed party secretary of Jiangsu province, an economic powerhouse on China’s east coast, marking his first time holding the post outside of his home province. In 2017, he was appointed leader of the Shanghai party, a role held by Mr Xi before the country’s president assumed China’s top leadership roles.