Who is Li Qiang, successor of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang
Li Qiang is poised to be confirmed as China's premier during the National People's Congress, which began on Sunday, replacing the retiring Li Keqiang, who is widely perceived as a pro-market reformer who was increasingly sidelined as Xi Jinping tightened his grip on the management of the economy.
Leadership watchers say Li Qiang's closeness to Xi is both a strength and a vulnerability: while he has Xi's trust, he is beholden to his long-time patron.
A career bureaucrat with little public profile, Li was put in line for China's No.2 role, charged with managing the world's second-largest economy, when Xi in October unveiled a leadership line-up stacked with loyalists.
Up to that point, Li was best known for overseeing the lockdown of Shanghai's 25 million people, which crippled its economy and left psychological scars but did nothing to derail his promotion.
A native of Zhejiang province, Li, 63, was Xi's chief of staff - a role for the most trusted confidants - from 2004 to 2007 when Xi was party chief of Zhejiang.
Reuters
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