Xi Jinping gives himself a lame duck cabinet

 

The lineup of China's new State Council seemed to have a pattern. The central bank governor, finance minister and transport minister had all stepped down from the top leadership group at last October's Communist Party national congress. Plus, they were above, or approaching, the unofficial retirement age.
 
"Surprisingly lightweight" was how several China watchers described the team.
 
A favorable interpretation could be that President Xi Jinping was considerate about surrounding new Premier Li Qiang, who has no central government experience, with veterans.
 
But what is going on seems to be more than that. It fits a string of measures that seeks to weaken the State Council, China's government, and move powers to the party, which Xi dominates.
 
Xi's predecessor Hu Jintao was keen to separate the State Council and the party, which sometimes led to tensions among the two sides. In Xi's third term - and potentially beyond - there will be no such tensions. The party decides and the State Council executes.