Beijing names new culture chief to drive soft-power push
Beijing promotes senior propaganda official to head up ministry as the country seeks to present itself abroad as a modern major nation
Beijing appointed a senior propaganda official as its culture minister yesterday, making him one of the spearheads of the government's drive to project China's soft power abroad.
The national legislature approved the appointment of 59-year-old Luo Shugang, the top deputy chief of the Communist Party's Publicity Department, as it concluded a bi-monthly session.
Luo has written extensively in party publications on reform of the culture sector, proposing the area be further opened up and its overseas links expanded to burnish China's soft power. Introducing the nation to the world as a modern major country has been part of President Xi Jinping's much-touted "China Dream". But Luo's official biography is brief compared with those of other ministers.
A Hebei native, Luo started work in 1971 and joined the party in 1981. He has a postgraduate degree in Communist Party theory and party building from the Central Party School.
His official public biography does not say when he joined the department. But some state-run online news outlets said Luo was an editor of the party's flagship journal before joining the department, and going on to be one of its deputy chiefs in April, 2000. He became the department's executive deputy chief in 2008, and doubled as general office director for the party's Central Commission for Guiding Cultural and Ethical Progress.
Luo succeeds Cai Wu, who reached the retirement age of 65 this year and was also a department deputy chief.
Renmin University politics Professor Zhang Ming said Luo's appointment to the culture ministry was in line with precedent.
Another ministry official said Cai gave a review of his work as minister on Friday, suggesting he would leave the post soon.
The source said Cai's departure was thought to be because of his age and not any other reason.
Cai's last official function was to deliver a speech at a national conference for cultural relics bureau chiefs on Thursday. He headed the State Council Information Office from 2005 before going to the ministry in 2008.
The National People's Congress Standing Committee also agreed yesterday to convene the legislature's annual full session on March 5, when the government is expected to present its annual plan and economic targets.
