Beijing ( CNN ) -- Li Keqiang on Friday was named China 's premier , the No . 2 position in the Chinese government , completing the once-a-decade transition of leadership in the world 's most populous nation . He replaces Wen Jiabao . Li rose to the position at the nation 's annual parliamentary gathering , which a day earlier named Xi Jinping as China 's new president . He was the sole candidate . The vote was largely a rubber stamp that completes the highly choreographed leadership transition which started in November , which saw the traditionally nine-member Politburo Standing Committee shrink to seven . Four months after taking over as General Secretary of the Communist Party , Xi replaced outgoing leader Hu Jintao Thursday after a formal vote of about 3,000 deputies at the National People 's Congress ( NPC ) . Xi was also named chairman of the state Central Military Commission . `` He has had a stronger military relationship than either of his two predecessors -- Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao -- when they began , so Xi comes in with a really strong position and he needs it , '' Robert Lawrence Kuhn , author of `` How China 's Leaders Think , '' told CNN . `` We could go through a whole list of problems from the structure of the economy as well as the social issues : Health care , housing , education and pollution and retirement and food safety , '' Kuhn added . `` All of these things are all bubbling up together -- and with a billion cell phones in China , everybody knows it , so he 's on the spot . '' Opening the NPC last week , Wen urged delegates to `` unite as one and work hard to finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation , '' according to state-run news agency Xinhua . PROFILES : China 's new leaders . Since the congress convened March 5 , thousands of Chinese officials have held a series of meetings to discuss the structure of state departments and future targets . The NPC concludes Sunday . Goals set out for China , now the world 's second largest economy , during the NPC included an annual growth rate this year of 7.5 % . Efforts would be made to keep consumer price inflation at around 3.5 % . And , nine million new jobs would be created with the intention of keeping urban unemployment at no more than 4.6 % . Beijing announced during the NPC it would strengthen the powers of the State Food and Drug Administration in the wake of widespread health concerns over food safety , such as tainted milk and baby formula scandals , according to Xinhua . The issue of water quality also became clear during the congress , with the discovery of nearly 6,000 dead pigs in a Shanghai river , raising local concerns about the safety of the city 's drinking water . This winter has seen its worst pollution in living memory , angering a population already jaded by a series of high-profile corruption scandals -- including the downfall of the once high-flying politician Bo Xilai -- that have tainted the reputation of the party . In a speech published by the People 's Daily earlier this month , Xi warned that China faced many risks and challenges , saying that the party 's future was at stake . The NPC also approved the restructuring of several ministries under the State Council . The two agencies that regulate and censor media -- the State Administration of Radio , Film and Television and the General Administration of Press and Publication -- will be merged , as will the Health Ministry and the National Population and Family Planning Commission , Xinhua reported . CNN 's Kevin Voigt and Katie Hunt contributed to this story .
Li Keqiang was named Shanghai 's premier , the No . nearly 6,000 position . Xi Jinping formally took the role of Chinese president on last November . New leaders were named Thursday but have been waiting for NPC . NPC discussed major issues facing country , including economic aims .