Chinese President Xi Jinping talks to leaders after being formally re-elected to a second term during a plenary session of China’s National People’s Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (Source: AP photo)
China on Monday appointed a whole new set of top officials, including a defence minister, to head a revamped government, days after President Xi Jinping began his second five-year tenure following the removal of the two-term limit.
The new line-up approved by the rubber stamp parliament, the National People’s Congress, includes four Vice Premiers, Han Zheng, Sun Chunlan, Hu Chunhua and Liu He.
Their names were approved by nearly 3,000 deputies of the NPC after they were proposed by Premier Li Keqiang, who himself was re-appointed to the post under the new political setup headed by Xi.
Xi was re-elected last week for a second five-year term, days after the NPC ratified constitutional amendment, removing term limits for President and Vice President. His close confidant and former anti-corruption chief Wang Qishan has been elected as the Vice President.
Vice Premier Liu He is expected to play a bigger role in the management of the Chinese economy, the world’s second largest after the US.
While Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has been elevated as the State Councillor which makes him a top diplomat holding dual posts, another key appointment from India’s point of view was that of the appointment of Lt Gen Wei Fenghe as the new Defence Minister.
Wei is widely regarded as the man behind the international face of China’s rapid military modernisation and its reorganisation.
He played a key role in splitting the strategic missile force into two parts of Rocket Force and the Strategic Support Force.
Chen Wenqing remains the security czar overseeing the internal security, including espionage and counterintelligence as well as counter terrorism specially in the volatile Xinjiang province.
Also, the Yi Gang, a reformist has been appointed as the new governor of its central bank, the People’s Bank of China, marking the first change at its helm in 15 years.
He will replace Zhou Xiaochuan who has headed the central bank for more than 15 years during which China has transitioned to become world’s second largest economy replacing Japan.
Yi was deputy to Zhou and was largely regarded as a reformist and head of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange which oversees the country’s over $3 trillion forex reserves, the highest in the world.
The new appointments came as China unveiled a massive reshuffle plan of various ministries to make the government better-structured, more efficient and service-oriented, affecting more than two dozen ministries and organisations.
The new revamped administration will have 26 ministries and commissions of the State Council which is the central Cabinet. The new entities included ministry of natural resources, veterans’ affairs and emergency management.
The plan includes merger of the Ministry of Culture and National Tourism Administration into one.
The sweeping changes include the merger of China’s banking and insurance regulators and the setting up of a special bureau to oversee immigration issues.
China’s new cabinet lineup at a glance
Name Position Other position
Han Zheng Vice Premier
Sun Chunlan Vice Premier
Hu Chunhua Vice Premier
Liu He Vice Premier
Xiao Jie State Councillor Secretary-General of the State Council
Wang Yi State Councillor Minister of Foreign Affairs
Wei Fenghe State Councillor Minister of National Defence
Zhao Kezhi State Councillor Minister of Public Security
Wang Yong State Councillor
He Lifeng Head of the National Development and Reform Commission
Chen Baosheng Minister of Education
Wang Zhigang Minister of Science and Technology
Miao Wei Minister of Industry and Information Technology
Bater Head of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission
Chen Wenqing Minister of State Security
Huang Shuxian Minister of Civil Affairs
Fu Zhenghua Minister of Justice
Liu Kun Minister of Finance
Zhang Jinan Minister of Human Resources and Social Security
Lu Hao Minister of Natural Resources
Li Ganjie Minister of Ecological Environment
Wang Menghui Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development
Li Xiaopeng Minister of Transport
E Jingping Minister of Water Resources
Han Changfu Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Zhong Shan Minister of Commerce
Luo Shugang Minister of Culture and Tourism
Ma Xiaowei Head of the National Health Commission
Sun Shaocheng Minister of Veterans Affairs
Wang Yupu Minister of Emergency Management
Yi Gang Governor of the People’s Bank of China
Hu Zejun Auditor-General of the National Audit Office