BEIJING, December 30: Economic wizard Zhu Rongji is all set to step into the shoes of premier Li Peng in March while President Jiang Zemin is tipped to secure another five-year term as China's head of the state.The 69-year-old former Shanghai mayor's ascent to the prime minister's post is expected to take place at the annual session of the supreme National People's Congress (NPC) starting on March 5.``China has decided to convene the first session of the ninth NPC on March 5 in Beijing. The new legislature will elect top state and government leaders,'' the official Xinhua news agency announced last night, quoting a resolution passed to this effect by the 29th meeting of the NPC standing committee.The new legislature will elect the chairman and vice-chairman for its standing committee and elect the country's president and vice-presidents. It will also decide on the list of the state council's premier and vice-premiers, as well as state councillors and ministers for all government departments and headsof the supreme people's court and supreme people's procuratorate.According to the Chinese constitution, the NPC serves a term of five years.Li Peng, considered a political hardliner, is required by the constitution to step down at the end of his second successive five-year term in March, 1998.Zhu, 69, is currently executive vice-premier and spearheading China's ambitious restructuring of state-owned enterprises and financial system. Meanwhile, Jiang, 71, who was re-elected general secretary of the ruling Communist Party of China in September, is expected to retain his post as President. Jiang is also commander-in-chief of the three-million-plus People's Liberation Army (PLA).However, Vice-President Rong Yiren is unlikely to retain his job, a post largely ceremonial, while Vice-Premier and Foreign Minister Qian Qichen is also likely to quit.Observers said Premier Li is expected to replace Qiao Shi, 73, who ``retired'' in September, as the new chairman of the standing committee of the NPC.Qiao'sexit will mark the end of his political career.However, Hong Kong papers have reported that Qiao, once considered a strong rival to Jiang, may be trying his best to stage a comeback by supporting the first vice-chairman of the NPC standing committee Tian Jiyun as chairman of the standing committee instead of Li.Even after stepping down as premier, Li will still be the second-most powerful person in Chinese political scene after Jiang since he ranks second in the standing committee hierarchy of the Communist Party of China, one step ahead of Zhu.The first plenary session of the ninth NPC will also approve the 1998 budget and select the new governor of the apex people's Bank of China.
