Li vs Xi

When he took office, Li Keqiang was seen as an economic reformer. However, it quickly became clear that Xi had different ideas. He increasingly sidelined the Premier, who had risen through the Communist Youth League, and made all major decisions himself. Li only hinted at his differing views occasionally.

In any case, the ten years of Prime Minister Li Keqiang’s term were a time of crises, marked by the trade war with the US, rising national debt, a stumbling real estate sector, and the COVID-19 pandemic. But the biggest problem for Li was that, regarding all these issues, his boss, President and CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping, made the key decisions. Xi often made these decisions in a way that was different from what Li would have done. At least, a few public statements by the Premier suggest this.

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