China filled out Premier Li Keqiang's economic team over the weekend, installing sovereign-wealth fund chief Lou Jiwei as finance minister while retaining Zhou Xiaochuan as central bank governor.
Gao Hucheng, 61, will be commerce minister after the National People's Congress approved his appointment in a vote in Beijing on Saturday. Xu Shaoshi, 61, will head the National Development and Reform Commission, the economic planning agency.
The leadership lineup under Li, who was to hold a press briefing Sunday in Beijing, is a mix of "activist reformers" such as Zhou and Lou and more cautious officials like Zhang Gaoli, appointed as the most senior vice premier, according to Yukon Huang, a former World Bank country head for China. At stake is the speed of policy moves to deepen a shift toward free markets and limit a slide in growth, as Nomura Holdings Inc. warns of mounting risks of a financial crisis.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.