Li Keqiang has been named new premier
BBC
China's leaders have named Li Keqiang premier, placing him at the helm
of the world's second-largest economy.
Li, who already holds the number two spot in the Communist Party, takes
over from Wen Jiabao.
Li was elected for a five-year term but, like his predecessor, would be
expected to spend a decade in office, reports the BBC.
On Thursday, Xi Jinping was confirmed by legislators as the new
president, completing the transition of power from Hu Jintao.
Li Keqiang's widely-signalled elevation was confirmed by 3,000
legislators at the National People's Congress, the annual parliament
session, in Beijing. He received 2,940 votes to three, with six
abstentions.
As premier, he will oversee a large portfolio of domestic affairs,
managing economic challenges, environmental woes and China's
urbanisation drive.
The appointments seal the shift from one generation of leaders to the
next. A raft of vice-premiers and state councillors will be named on
Saturday, before the NPC closes on Sunday.
Li, 57, who is seen as close to outgoing leader Hu Jintao, speaks
fluent English and has a PhD in economics.
He has called for a more streamlined government, eliminating some
ministries while boosting the size of others.
The son of a local official in Anhui province, he became China's
youngest provincial governor when he was tasked to run Henan.
But his time there was marked by a scandal involving the spread of HIV
through contaminated blood.
Li is expected to end the NPC with a press conference on Sunday, given
by Wen Jiabao for the past decade.
On Thursday, Xi Jinping's move was approved by 2,952 votes to one, with
three abstentions.
Hours later, US President Barack Obama called both to congratulate him
and raise concerns over ongoing issues, including cyber hacking and
North Korea.
"Both leaders agreed on the value of regular high-level engagement to
expand co-operation and co-ordination," a White House statement said.
Obama is sending both Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew and Secretary of
State John Kerry to Beijing in coming days, in an apparent bid to reach
out to the new administration.
In an editorial, state-run Global Times said Xi and his colleagues
needed to show powerful leadership to unite society.
"China cannot stop developing or fighting corruption. Social unity is
the key to how China can stand against complex international affairs,"
it said
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