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Chinese Premier Li Qiang stays close to home in his first big turn on the national stage
- Li addresses few international issues in his debut press conference after the close of the national legislature’s annual session
- Instead, he focuses on private enterprise and the need for government to help business
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When his first press conference as premier was over on Monday morning, Li Qiang’s foreign policy footprint appeared even smaller than that of his predecessor Li Keqiang.
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During the 1½-hour highly choreographed gathering of domestic and international media after the close of the National People’s Congress’ annual session, Li Qiang answered just one question on diplomacy – a query about US-China relations from an Uzbek journalist.
Li did not touch on challenging questions such as security or Beijing’s position on the war in Ukraine.
In comparison, his predecessor tackled China-US relations and China-Russia relations in his two-hour debut a decade ago.
And five years ago Li Keqiang kicked off his second five-year term as premier by addressing multiple diplomatic issues, offering updates not only on US-China ties but also on relations with Japan and tensions on the Korean peninsula.
03:24
China’s new premier Li Qiang outlines priorities in first press conference
China’s new premier Li Qiang outlines priorities in first press conference
Fast forward to Monday and Li Qiang, the former Shanghai Communist Party chief, was on firmer footing with domestic issues.
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