Li Qiang confirmed as China's premier at annual parliament

Former Shanghai party boss will serve as Xi Jinping's second-in-command

Newly elected Premier Li Qiang, left, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a session of the National People's Congress in Beijing on March 11. (Photo by Yusuke Hinata)

CK TAN, Nikkei staff writer

March 11, 2023 07:00 JST

Updated on March 11, 2023 17:39 JST

BEIJING -- Li Qiang, the former boss of Shanghai, was tapped as China's premier on Saturday, putting him in charge of steering a post-pandemic economic recovery as the country's second-in-command.

The 63-year-old's elevation was confirmed at the National People's Congress (NPC), China's annual rubber-stamp parliament, which wraps up Monday when Li is scheduled to give a traditional media briefing as the new premier.