One of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s most dependable loyalists, Li Qiang, was officially sworn in as premier on Saturday as Xi tried to exert more control over the country’s top officials.
At a gathering of the nation’s rubber-stamp parliament, Li, the former party chairman of Shanghai who supervised the torturous two-month lockdown of the city last spring, was named the replacement for outgoing premier Li Keqiang.
A day after being chosen by deputies for an unprecedented third term as president, the 63-year-old secured virtually all of the votes from the more than 2,900 delegates at the National People’s Congress.
On Saturday morning, the chamber heard Xi’s motion designating Li Qiang as premier.
After Li’s handling of the Shanghai lockdown, during which citizens had difficulty getting food and medical attention, Li’s ascension had earlier seemed in doubt.
But, as Xi tightens his hold on Chinese politics, Li’s track record and the widespread protests last winter over Xi’s zero-COVID policy have been dismissed.
