China's Premier Li Keqiang dropped in leadership shuffle

The new Central Committee was approved at the closing session of a Communist Party congress that set the leadership and agenda for the next five years.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and Premier Li Keqiang attend the closing ceremony of the 20th National Congress of China's ruling Communist Party in Beijing. (Photo | AP) 

BEIJING: Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, the nation's No. 2 official and a proponent of economic reforms, is among four of the seven members who will not be reappointed to the nation's all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee.

They were not on the list released Saturday of the ruling Communist Party's new 205-member Central Committee, which means they cannot serve on the Standing Committee.

The others dropped from the list were Shanghai party chief Han Zheng, party advisory body head Wang Yang, and Li Zhanshu, a longtime ally of leader Xi Jinping and the head of the largely ceremonial National People's Congress.

The new Central Committee was approved at the closing session of a Communist Party congress that set the leadership and agenda for the next five years.