BEIJING — Li Keqiang was endorsed as Chinese premier on March 18 at the ongoing first session of the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC), the national legislature.

Nearly 3,000 NPC deputies voted to approve the premiership nomination of Li at the sixth plenary meeting of the session. Li was officially appointed premier after President Xi Jinping signed a presidential decree.

Xu Qiliang and Zhang Youxia were endorsed as vice-chairpersons of the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the People’s Republic of China, and Wei Fenghe, Li Zuocheng, Miao Hua and Zhang Shengmin as the CMC members at the same meeting.

NPC deputies also elected Yang Xiaodu director of the national supervisory commission, Zhou Qiang president of the Supreme People’s Court, and Zhang Jun procurator-general of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate.

Altogether 159 people were elected members of the 13th NPC Standing Committee.

Chinese leaders including Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, Han Zheng and Wang Qishan attended the plenary meeting.