How revised Chinese law makes Shanghai party chief a hot candidate for role of premier
- Leading the race for China’s next premier is Shanghai party boss Li Qiang, but he has never served as vice-premier, as tradition demands
- That hurdle may be overcome if Li is named as a vice-premier by the NPC Standing Committee, invested with the power to do so by a 2021 law revision
Xi, who is on the cusp of a record-breaking third term as paramount leader, understandably wants to build a young team able to support him for the next five years and beyond.
Sources said Li Keqiang, 67, would opt for full retirement instead of staying on in the seven-member Politburo Standing Committee – the party’s top decision-making body – and taking up another state position.
The choice of his replacement would hinge on the fate of his committee colleague Wang Yang, who is of the same age – as age still matters when Beijing decides whom to retain and whom to let go.
Wang, chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, is viewed by overseas observers to be an ideal candidate, given his rich experience and background.
Ranked No 4 in the party hierarchy and a former vice-premier, Wang is also the logical choice to take over from Premier Li if he transitions to the new Politburo Standing Committee, to be revealed at the end of the congress.
