Outsider from Tianjin breaks 33-year tradition to become Guangzhou party chief
Tianjin deputy mayor Ren Xuefeng breaks 33-year tradition of appointing as party secretary someone with Guangdong background
For the first time in 33 years, someone from outside the ranks of Guangdong cadres has been named the Communist Party secretary of its biggest city, Guangzhou.
Ren Xuefeng, previously deputy mayor of Tianjin , replaces Wan Qingliang , who is under investigation for corruption.
Observers said the appointment showed Ren was a rising political star favoured by the party leadership in Beijing.
They also said the appointment could benefit the city's economic development and cross-border cooperation because Ren had business experience in Hong Kong and had worked in Tianjin's Binhai New Area, a major economic development zone.
The official Guangzhou Daily yesterday confirmed Ren's appointment in a one-line report. The announcement came after months of speculation over whether he or Ma Xingrui , the deputy party secretary in Guangdong, would take up the position.
Ren, 48, comes from Hebei province and is regarded by analysts as a relatively young and well-educated talent within the party. He has a PhD in management from Nankai University in Tianjin.
Ren had extensive experience working in Tianjin's industries and technological park, the predecessor of the Binhai zone, in the 1990s.