Beijing: China is expected to unveil a new government on Saturday headed by President Xi Jinping after scrapping of the two-term limit for him that makes him China's first leader for life since Chairman Mao Zedong.
Except Premier Li Keqiang, all top posts including the entire Cabinet beside governor of the central bank will be occupied by a new set of officials. However, all eyes will be on the vice presidential nominee as the recent constitutional amendment adopted by the rubber stamp parliament - National People's Congress (NPC) - has removed the two-term limit for the president and vice president.
While the amendment empowered 64-year-old Xi to remain in power for life, his power base is expected to be further reinforced by his close associate Wang Qishan who carried out the dreaded anti-corruption campaign in the last five years in which over one-and-a-half million people including over 100 ministerial-level officials were punished.
Wang is due to quit as he has crossed 68 years of age, the limit for all top Chinese officials to retire. But he is widely expected to become vice president as he was given top billing by the official media during the current annual parliament session coverage.
Weeks before the legislative sessions, various officials said Wang would be named vice-president, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported on Friday. "It was all but confirmed by carefully arranged close-ups of Wang appearing on state broadcaster CCTV immediately after Xi and other members of the Politburo Standing Committee China's de facto power centre," it said.
From India's perspective of the new line-up of officials, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is widely expected to be elevated as state councillor which makes him the top diplomat of the country.
The elevation will entail him to become China's special representative for India-China boundary talks. The post is currently held by Yang Jiechi who has been elevated to the politburo, the top policy body of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC). The line-up of the new government will be announced tomorrow, the Post report said.
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