Coronavirus: President Xi Jinping promotes allies in shake-up to ease growing public criticism

Reshuffle comes amid anger over early attempts to suppress information on severity of outbreak

Hubei Communist Party boss Jiang Chaoliang inspecting the newly built Huoshenshan Hospital for coronavirus patients in Wuhan, Hubei, on Feb 2. He has been replaced by Shanghai Mayor Ying Yong.
Hubei Communist Party boss Jiang Chaoliang inspecting the newly built Huoshenshan Hospital for coronavirus patients in Wuhan, Hubei, on Feb 2. He has been replaced by Shanghai Mayor Ying Yong. PHOTO: REUTERS
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President Xi Jinping promoted political allies in a reshuffle yesterday to better tackle an outbreak of the deadly coronavirus in Hubei province and deal with a restive Hong Kong as part of efforts to ease growing criticism.

The shake-up comes amid widening public displeasure about what critics said were early attempts by local officials to suppress information about the severity of the epidemic - the latest and biggest crisis facing Mr Xi since he assumed power in 2012 - which has spread to about two dozen countries since December, infecting more than 60,000 and killing close to 1,400 people.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 14, 2020, with the headline Coronavirus: President Xi Jinping promotes allies in shake-up to ease growing public criticism. Subscribe