New Chinese premier appointed

Long-time ally: Li (left) shaking hands with Xi during a session of the National People’s Congress in Beijing. — AFP

Beijing: Li Qiang, one of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s most trusted allies, was confirmed as premier, as Xi cements his influence on the country’s top leadership.

Li, the former Shanghai party chief who oversaw the city’s gruelling two-month lockdown last spring, was named the successor of outgoing premier Li Keqiang at a meeting of the country’s rubber-stamp parliament.