People’s National Congress endorses numerous high-level appointments

Wang Qishan (69), who has spearheaded president Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign and has long experience in US-China relations, was elevated to vice president. Premier Li Keqiang (62) was appointed to a second term, while Han Zheng (63), the long-serving party secretary from Shanghai, becomes first vice premier. Other appointees to vice premier posts are Sun Chunlan (67), a former leader of an organisation that aims to increase the influence of the Communist Party in China and elsewhere; Hu Chunhua (54), earlier seen as Xi’s possible successor (at least before the abolition of term limits on the Chinese presidency); and Liu He (66), China’s “economic architect” and president Xi’s chief advisor.

Liu Kun (61), former head of the commission for budget affairs, was named finance minister. Yang Xiadou (64) will head the newly created National Supervision Commission and becomes national anticorruption minister. Wang Yi (64) remains foreign affairs minister, while He Lifeng (63) reprises his role as head of the National Development and Reform Commission. Wei Fenghe (63), a general in the People’s Liberation Army, becomes national defence minister. Han Changfu (63) continues as agricultural minister. Environment minister Li Ganjie (53) and natural resources minister Lu Hao (50) represent the young cadre.