Rising political star of northern China feels the heat of coal miners’ protests
Charismatic, well-educated and young, Heilongjiang provincial governor Lu Hao faces an uphill battle transitioning the rust-belt economy
He has been tagged as a political rising star but with thousands of unpaid miners protesting on the streets in Heilongjiang, the future of provincial governor Lu Hao might not be so bright, analysts say.
The miners from beleaguered state-owned Heilongjiang Longmay Mining Holding Group came out in force in the city of Shuangyashan on the weekend. Chanting “workers need food” and “down with corrupt criminals”, they held banners that took direct aim at Lu.
“Lu Hao lied with an open eye,” one banner read.
Heilongjiang’s coal industry has been battered by plunging demand for the fossil fuel in the past year, but major protests broke out only days after a controversial comment by Lu.
“There are 80,000 miners at Longmay. Not a single month of salary was unpaid, not a single penny,” Lu told journalists at a National People’s Congress discussion panel on March 6, only to retract it a few days later and accuse lower-level officials of misinformation.
READ MORE: Miners stage big protest in northern China, demanding pay and job security
The timing of the protests poses a risk for the official, coming during the two most important political meetings of the year. The annual sessions of the NPC and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference are supposed to showcase unity and prosperity to the world.