 | | Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is no longer on the Communist Party's Central Committee. Neither is Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, China's chief COVID-19 fighter.
They are not part of President Xi Jinping's "aides-only" new leadership team. But they still very much have their hands on the steering wheel, as China tackles a surge in coronavirus cases.
That is because Xi's new No. 2 and premier-designate, Li Qiang, has no central government experience and is unfamiliar with how to work the administrative machinery.
Symbolically, at the Central Economic Work Conference last week, Premier Li Keqiang first gave a speech. Separately, Li Qiang gave a summary of the conference.
Local bureaucrats who receive orders from the central government feel it difficult to act on them since there are two command centers in Beijing -- one led by Premier Li and the other by Li Qiang.
As it is unclear whose orders they should obey, the best way to protect oneself is to do nothing.
Read the full story here.
This is the final China Up Close newsletter of 2022. We will be back with our first edition of 2023 on Jan. 12. Have a safe and happy holiday season!
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