Li Keqiang: A man who puts people first
File photo taken on April 28, 2012 shows Li Keqiang delivers a speech at Moscow State University in Moscow, the capital of Russia. [Photo/Xinhua]
BEIJING - His toughness in advancing complex reforms, as well as his social warmth and scholarly temperament have made him a major figure in China's political arena. Calling reform \Li Keqiang has used different occasions to facilitate reforms since being re-elected in mid-November as a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.
\symposium on advancing comprehensive reforms.
\assuming their historical responsibility,\
China's new wave of reform has begun with curbing bureaucracy in meetings. When
presiding over meetings, Li forbids officials to read prepared speeches, encourages them to take the floor freely and asks incisive and persistent questions to get to the bottom of matters.
In a meeting on China's HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, he encouraged
representatives from nongovernmental organizations to talk more about their problems, even though this delayed his appointment with other officials.
Li has also emphasized that only reform can improve Chinese people's living standards and that future reforms must ensure equal rights and opportunities for the people and ensure that everybody adheres to the rules.
From secretary of a village's CPC branch to member of the CPC's highest leading body, Li, 57, has continuously maintained a down-to-earth work style and the principle of putting people first.
His curriculum vitae reflects his rich governance experience. Li served as secretary of the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) committee of Peking University. He was a member of the Secretariat of the CYLC Central Committee and the Party chief of Henan and Liaoning provinces.
Confident, smart and eloquent in public, Li is frank, amiable, resolute and responsible at work, according to his acquaintances.
After 10 years of study at Peking University, Li earned a bachelor's degree in law and master's and doctorate degrees in economics. He has excelled in China's officialdom due to his academic accomplishments and international perspective.
Li first joined the highest leading body of the CPC five years ago at the first Plenary Session of the 17th CPC Central Committee. A few months later, he became China's youngest Vice-Premier in nearly 20 years.
Crazy for Gold
A drop in the price of the yellow metal has sparked a buying frenzy not seen in decades
PANIC BUYING: Streams of consumers rush to purchase gold products at a store in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, on April 18 (XU YIJIA)
From April 10 to 16, the price of gold plummeted 15 percent from $1,588 per ounce to $1,321 per ounce in the international market, the biggest single-week price plunge in the history. On April 12, New York gold futures were down 4.1 percent to $1,501 per ounce. The same day, gold stores in Beijing like Caibai Jewelry, lowered their prices for gold jewelry as pure gold stumbled to 385 yuan ($61.11) per gram.
The dramatic plunge has triggered a buying frenzy across China, one of the biggest gold-consuming countries in Asia.
\If you buy a 70-gram bracelet, the price is 2,000 yuan ($317.46) lower than several
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