FROM EIR DAILY ALERT
China Selects Its New Government Leadership, Who Pledge New Oath to Constitution
March 19, 2018 (EIRNS)—The National People’s Congress has completed the election of the new government leadership with a number of changes in the works.
President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang have been reelected for another term. Wang Qishan, one of the closest collaborators of President Xi, who had led the anti-corruption campaign, was elected vice-president. Foreign Minister Wang Yi will remain in the post of foreign minister, but has also been promoted to State Councillor as well. This is the first time that a sitting foreign minister has also held a post on the State Council; former Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi went to the State Council upon retiring from his ministerial post. He is now no longer in the State Council.
Wang Yi’s position on the State Council makes him senior to other ministers, and underlines the importance of foreign policy in the second Xi administration.
Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan will also remain at his post. He Lifeng, the head of the National Development and Reform Commission, will also remain in his position. Zhou Xiaochuan, the Governor of the People’s Bank of China, had reached retirement age and will be replaced by Yi Gang, a U.S.-trained economist, who has served at PBC as deputy for some years now. The real economic policy portfolio, however, will be held by Liu He. Although he does not hold a cabinet post, Liu has been named a vice minister, which gives him even more clout. He is also the head of the Leading Group for Economic and Financial Affairs within the Central Committee of the Communist Party.
China’s leading officers swore a new oath to the Constitution:
“I pledge my allegiance to the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China (P.R.C.) to safeguard the Constitution’s authority, fulfill my legal obligations, be loyal to the country and the people, be committed and honest in my duty, accept the people’s supervision and work for a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful.”
