Complex sentence: The government denied Huang's request to resign effective March 2007, but thereafter his position became purely ceremonial, handing over his role of oversight of the Financial Affairs portfolio to premier Wen Jiabao in January.
Split into simpler sentences: The government denied Huang's request to resign effective March 2007, but thereafter his position became entirely ceremonial. He handed over his role of oversight of the Financial Affairs portfolio to premier Wen Jiabao in January.