China confirms Li Keqiang as premier - BBC News

14 March 2013 Last updated at 22:45 ET Mr Li, the son of an official in Anhui, is a fluent English speaker Continue reading the main story Man with a dream Legacy of Hu and Wen China tackles 'wasteful' ministries What tasks do new leaders face? China's leaders have named Li Keqiang as premier, placing him at the helm of the world's second-largest economy. Mr Li, who already holds the number two spot in the Communist Party, takes over from Wen Jiabao. Mr Li was elected for a five-year term but, like his predecessor, would be expected to spend a decade in office. On Thursday, Xi Jinping was confirmed by legislators as the new president, completing the transition of power from Hu Jintao. Li Keqiang's widely-signalled elevation was confirmed by 3,000 legislators at the National People's Congress, the annual parliament session, in Beijing. As premier, he will oversee a large portfolio of domestic affairs, managing economic challenges, environmental woes and China's urbanisation drive. Continue reading the main story Li Keqiang Seen as one of the more reform-minded members of the new leadership Started out as a manual labourer on a rural commune Studied law at Peking University, where he became involved in student politics Became China's youngest provincial governor when he was tasked to run Henan in 1998, where he successfully boosted the economy, but was criticised for an alleged cover-up of the spread of HIV through contaminated blood Widely speculated that Mr Li was former President Hu Jintao's preferred successor, but lost the top job to Xi Jinping The appointments seal the shift from one generation of leaders to the next. A raft of vice-premiers and state councillors will be named on Saturday, before the NPC closes on Sunday. US envoys On Thursday, Xi Jinping's move was approved by 2,952 votes to one, with three abstentions. Hours later, US President Barack Obama called both to congratulate him and raise concerns over ongoing issues, including cyber hacking and North Korea. "Both leaders agreed on the value of regular high-level engagement to expand co-operation and co-ordination," a White House statement said. Mr Obama is sending both Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew and Secretary of State John Kerry to Beijing in coming days, in an apparent bid to reach out to the new administration. Mr Li, who is seen as close to outgoing leader Hu Jintao, speaks fluent English and has a PhD in economics. He has called for a more streamlined government, eliminating some ministries while boosting the size of others. The son of a local official in Anhui province, he became China's youngest provincial governor when he was tasked to run Henan. But his time there was marked by a scandal involving the spread of HIV through contaminated blood. via Top Stories - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNFjD8ErL69gGTjbWeMKTNwQFKyepQ&url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-21796641

Put the internet to work for you. via Personal Recipe 2953939