Top CPC body to finalise China's new Cabinet next week

The ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), headed by its new leader Xi Jinping, would meet next week to finalise a new Cabinet and administrative reforms as it is set to assume power in March in the once-in-a-decade leadership change.
The Second Plenum of the 18th Central Committee of CPC, a key policy body, will be held here from February 26-28, according to a decision by the 21-member Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Saturday.
Xi, the General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the Bureau meeting, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The Plenum would finalise the names for the Cabinet as well as host of other appointments including a new candidate to replace the present top diplomat and State Councillor, Dai Bingguo, who was China's leading negotiator of India-China boundary talks for a decade. Present Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi is the front runner for the post.

A draft on institutional restructuring and function transformation of the Cabinet was discussed in the meeting.
It was agreed that efforts will be made to achieve simpler and decentralise administration as well as push forward institutional reform, it said

The Plenum meeting would take place ahead of the opening of National People's Congress (NPC), the rubber stamp legislature beginning from March 3 which would formally christen Xi as the President succeeding outgoing President Hu Jintao next month.
The number two leader, Li Keqiang, who was elected along Xi and five other leaders to the seven member Standing Committee which governs the country, would take over as Prime Minister succeeding Wen Jiabao.

The fortnight NPC long meeting would complete the power transformation at all levels with the retiring old guard replaced by the new.
After their election in November last, Xi emerged as the powerful leader taking over as the military Chief.
After taking over as President, he would be holding all three powerful posts of Party General Secretary, Military Chief and President.
Members of Political Bureau agreed that institutional reform of the Cabinet should be carried out in an "active yet prudent, step by step manner, with priority given to function transformation," the Xinhua report said.
They also discussed the list of candidates for the country's next administration, which will be recommended to the upcoming NPC meeting.

The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), an advisory legislative body, would also be meeting simultaneously.
This year, China will focus on improving the quality and efficiency of its economic growth, further its reform and opening-up, boost innovation, so as to achieve sustainable and healthy development of the economy and social harmony, the report said.