Cabinet musical chairs: who will take on the top jobs in China’s government?
With the new Communist Party leadership in place, the question now is which senior cadres will take the major cabinet spots over the next few months
China’s cabinet is set for an overhaul in the next few months as fresh faces in the Communist Party’s leadership take on new jobs in government.
Of the new Politburo Standing Committee members named on Wednesday, liberal-minded Vice-Premier Wang Yang is likely to move on to head a top advisory body and Shanghai party boss Han Zheng could go on to become the vice-premier in charge of finance and economy.
Apart from President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang was the only person to retain his seat on the party’s most powerful body.
While Li will stay on as premier and head of government, all the four vice-premier positions will change hands.
If precedent is followed, Wang, now fourth in the party hierarchy, will head the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, leaving his vice-premier post vacant. The three other vice-premiers – Zhang Gaoli, Liu Yandong and Ma Kai – will retire.
Premier Li Keqiang looks to ‘crucial moment’ for China
Although the government appointments will not be finalised until early next year, Han, who is seventh on the Standing Committee, is in line to be executive vice-premier.