Li Keqiang’s Brother No Longer Serves as Deputy Director of the Tobacco Bureau

Li Keming, the younger brother of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, has been removed from his post as Deputy Director of the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration and reassigned as Chairman of the Board of Supervisors for Key Large State-Owned Enterprises. (Reported by He Shan)

The announcement published Wednesday (11th) on the website of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security was very brief, and also included the appointment and removal of two other officials.

As early as when Li Keqiang took office as premier, outside observers had already questioned whether his brother’s position created a conflict of interest.

More than two years earlier, the Brookings Institution had published a report noting that Li Keqiang was about to become premier while his brother, Li Keming, was serving as Deputy Director of the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration. Since China collects as much as 600 billion yuan in tax revenue from the tobacco industry each year, the report argued that the government would have difficulty properly regulating the sector. To avoid a conflict of interest, the report said Li Keming should resign from the post.