China’s ‘two sessions’ 2023: how will Li Qiang’s pro-business past and pragmatism help tackle China’s growing pains?
- Analysts say that holding the trust of President Xi Jinping will grant Li Qiang a higher degree of autonomy in economic affairs, allowing him to take bold actions
- Li’s expected elevation to premier would make him the first such Chinese leader in three decades to have no previous experience in the central government or in west China
With Li Qiang poised to take the premiership baton that will put him firmly on track to run the world’s second-largest economy, the onlooking crowd is already debating and dissecting the big questions over his would-be role, work style, policies and priorities.
Historically, the 63-year-old has shown himself to be a pragmatist with a strong business-oriented mindset, but his relatively low profile until recently has left the market scrambling for signs or indications of how he would manage far more sophisticated domestic issues while countering US decoupling pressure at the central-government level.
Li, as the most pro-business politician in President Xi Jinping’s inner circle, would shoulder the responsibility of shoring up the economy to previous levels of growth, defusing immediate risks, tapping into long-term growth potential and elevating China into a high-income economy during his tenure.
Many overseas analysts believed that Li, who was Xi’s de facto chief of staff in Zhejiang province from 2004-07, will mainly play the role of implementer, rather than be tasked with reshaping the country’s development course.
“His main strengths are his long work as a close adviser to Xi Jinping,” said Andrew Collier, a China analyst with Global Source Partners.
