Li Qiang becomes China’s premier, tasked with reviving economy

By Laurie Chen and Tony Munroe BEIJING (Reuters) -Li Qiang, the former Communist Party chief of Shanghai, took office on Saturday as China’s premier, the country’s No.2 post, putting the close ally of President Xi Jinping in charge of reviving an economy battered by three years of COVID-19 curbs. Widely perceived to be pragmatic and business-friendly, the 63-year-old Li faces the daunting task of shoring up China’s uneven recovery in the faces of global headwinds and weak confidence among consumers and the private sector. Li takes office as tensions rise with the West over a host of issues inc…

Read More