Chinese PM Li Keqiang appoints missile man as defence minister

The new line-up approved by the rubber-stamp parliament, the National People's Congress, includes four Vice Premiers, Han Zheng, Sun Chunlan, Hu Chunhua and Liu He.

Their names were approved by nearly 3,000 deputies of the NPC after they were proposed by Premier Li Keqiang, who himself was re-appointed to the post under the new political setup headed by President Xi Jinping. Xi was re-elected last week for a second five-year term, days after the NPC ratified constitutional amendment, removing term limits for President and Vice President. His close confidant and former anti-corruption chief Wang Qishan has been elected as the Vice President.

Vice Premier Liu He is expected to play a bigger role in the management of the Chinese economy, the world's second largest after the US.

China which was witnessing nearly three decades of double-digit growth slowed down in 2016 with a slight improvement last year. Debt fuelled investment in infrastructure and real estate has underpinned China's growth for years. While Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has been elevated as the State Councillor which makes him a top diplomat holding dual posts, another key appointment from India's point of view was that of the appointment of Lt Gen Wei Fenghe as the new Defence Minister.

Wei is widely regarded as the man behind the international face of China's rapid military modernisation and its reorganisation.

He played a key role in splitting the strategic missile force into two parts of Rocket Force and the Strategic Support Force. Chen Wenqing remains the security czar overseeing the internal security, including espionage and counterintelligence as well as counter terrorism specially in the volatile Xinjiang province.

Also, the Yi Gang, a reformist has been appointed as the new governor of its central bank, the People's Bank of China, marking the first change at its helm in 15 years.