China's transition to the so-called fifth generation of leaders is now complete. Unlike the naming of top Communist Party officials last November at the 18th Party Congress, the identification of top government officials was much less dramatic: The results had been widely anticipated and the process appeared to go off without a hitch.
As expected, Mr. Xi Jinping, selected as secretary general of the Chinese Communist Party in November, completed his voyage to the heights of the leadership by being named president of the country. Mr. Li Keqiang was named premier, a position that puts him in charge of day-to-day management of the country, and makes him most responsible for keeping the economy healthy and growing.
While these two men represent the pinnacle of power, other key officials were named as well, including Mr. Wang Yi, former ambassador to Japan, who was appointed foreign minister; Mr. Yang Jiechi, the previous foreign minister, who moved on to become state councilor; and Mr. Lou Jiwei, the new finance minister.