Xi Jinping

Xi Adds Oversight Risk to China EV Battery Growth Plans

The world’s largest battery maker CATL and its rivals in China were put on notice this week with a message from the top. When Chinese President Xi Jinping said he was “both pleased and concerned” about CATL’s electric vehicle (EV) battery dominance, industry executives and regulators heard a caution to be ready to throttle back […]

Li Qiang Becomes China's Premier, Tasked with Reviving Economy

Li Qiang, the former Communist Party chief of Shanghai, took office on Saturday as China’s premier, the country’s No.2 post, putting the close ally of President Xi Jinping in charge of reviving an economy battered by three years of COVID-19 curbs. Widely perceived to be pragmatic and business-friendly, the 63-year-old Li faces the daunting task […]

‘Xi Jinping’s Guy’: Longtime Acolyte LI Set to Be China’s Next Premier

Four years before Li Qiang gained notoriety as the force behind the two-month COVID lockdown of Shanghai, the man set to become China’s next premier worked quietly behind the scenes to drive a bold revamp of the megacity’s sclerotic stock market. Li’s back-channelling – sources said he bypassed the China Securities Regulatory Commission, which lost […]