General Li Sanfu, who was sanctioned by the US government in 2018 for approving the purchase of Russian weapons systems, is taking over as China’s new defense minister today.

Meanwhile, Qin Gang, Beijing’s former ambassador to Washington, remains foreign minister, He Rong retains the portfolio of justice minister, Chen Yixin remains minister of public security, and Wang Xiaohong remains minister of public security or police chief.

Tensions between the US and China have continued to rise recently after a US fighter jet shot down an unmanned Chinese balloon. Washington said it was a spy balloon designed to photograph secret military installations, Beijing said it was a meteorological data collection system that inadvertently entered US airspace because it was blown away by the wind.

In addition, the United States accuses China of considering the possibility of supplying weapons to Russia for use in the war in Ukraine.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, in an unusually harsh tone, accused the United States of implementing and pressuring its allies to carry out a policy of “encirclement” and “repression” against his country, the Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.

For some analysts, the appointment of General Lee is a “deliberate” reaction to the sanctions imposed on him. According to Manoj Kewalramani of India’s Takshashila Institute, the decision “shows” that Beijing intends to “pull the strings” and also means that “a new obstacle will be added to US-China contacts” at the ministerial level. “were already very limited.”

Government Vice Presidents

At the same time, four new government vice-presidents were appointed. Ding Suexiang, 60, is the first vice premier who is also a member of the Politburo of the ruling Communist Party, China’s highest authority. He is a confidant of Xi and was the chief of staff of the Chinese president, first in 2006 in Shanghai and for the past 10 years in Beijing.

He Lifen, 68, will replace Liu He as the next economic “king.” He is a long-time ally of Xi and previously headed the National Development and Reform Commission, a powerful state planning agency.

Zhang Guoqing, 58, holds a doctorate in economics and worked for defense companies for 20 years before entering politics and holding high positions at the provincial level.

Liu Guozong, 60, is a former head of the Communist Party in Shaanxi Province, where Xi has hereditary roots.

State Advisors

At the same meeting of the National People’s Congress, five new state councilors of China were named, occupying a rank below vice-premiers, but above ministers.

In addition to Li Sanfu, 65, who was also appointed Minister of Defense and worked on China’s satellite program, Qin Gang, 57, who is also Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Wang Xiaohong, 65, who is also Minister of State Security or Chief of Police Members of the State Council appointed 58-year-old Wu Zhenglong, who is the Secretary General of the State Council and served as party leader of Jiangsu Province.

Shen Yiqin, 63, becomes the highest-ranking woman in the Chinese government. Observers were surprised when the Communist Party broke with tradition by not appointing women to its 24-member Politburo in October.

For the first time in decades, there were no women vice presidents. Shen, a former party leader in Guizhou Province, is the only female member of the state council.

Financial … state continuity

At the same time, China unexpectedly left its central bank governor and finance minister at the annual session of parliament today, Sunday, prioritizing the future as economic troubles loomed at home and abroad.

President Xi, who has placed allies in key roles in a government reshuffle as he enters his third five-year term, cut ties and left Yi Gang, 65, as governor of the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) and Liu Kun, 66. as old as the finance minister. Both men reached the official retirement age of 65.

In terms of appointments, there were fewer changes than expected, with most ministers retaining their posts. However, further announcements are expected in the coming weeks as China moves through a reorganization of its financial regulatory structure and other government agencies.

“Choosing succession in these critical economic roles involves an emphasis on reliability and stability,” said Matti Beckink, China director of the Economist Intelligence Corporate Network.

“Perhaps this is also a tacit acknowledgment of some of the problems facing Beijing at the moment,” he said. “The real challenge for this third term of Xi is whether he will address the structural imbalances in China’s economy and implement the necessary reforms to ensure China’s long-term competitiveness.”

Source: AFP, Reuters, APE-MPE.