Once seen as a sure bet for elevation to China's elite Politburo Standing Committee or even as the country's next premier, Li Qiang's glide path to the upcoming Communist Party Congress was buffeted by Shanghai's grinding two-month COVID-19 lockdown.
As the top official in China's commercial hub and its most populous city, Li's position as Shanghai party chief has traditionally been a stepping stone towards a top-two role in China's power structure - including for Xi Jinping himself.
"For Xi, the absolute security he craves can only come with absolute control. If he has his way, he would want to stuff the whole PSC with his own people, including Li Qiang," said Chen Daoyin, a political commentator formerly with Shanghai University of Political Science and Law and now based in Chile.
In 2015, Li accompanied Xi on a visit to the United States to meet then-President Barack Obama. In Seattle with Xi, Li gave a speech calling for more cooperation between Zhejiang and U.S. firms.
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