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Shanxi governor Li Xiaopeng is expected to become the new Communist Party chief of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission. Photo: Simon Song

Exclusive | Son of former Chinese premier Li Peng tipped to take over Communist Party helm at state enterprise watchdog

Appointment of Li Xiaopeng would mark rare reshuffle of top two jobs in same province, in changes set to pave the way for a changing of the guard at next year’s party congress

Li Xiaopeng, the governor of coal-rich Shanxi province and the son of former premier Li Peng, is tipped to become the new Communist Party boss of the regulator of top state-owned enterprises, sources in Shanxi and Beijing told the South China Morning Post.

Xinhua also reported yesterday that Qinghai party chief Luo Huining would succeed Li Xiao­peng’s boss, Shanxi party chief Wang Rulin, confirming a Post report on Wednesday.

Analysts said the reshuffle of provincial and ministerial chiefs announced this week paved the way for a changing of the guard at the five-yearly party congress scheduled for late next year.

If officially confirmed, Li Xiaopeng’s appointment would be a rare instance of a party chief and governor of the same province being replaced at the same time.

Shanxi was one of the “disaster zones” targeted by President Xi Jinping’s anti-graft campaign and was described as suffering from a “landslide of corruption” among provincial officials. It is also the home of disgraced presidential aide Ling Jihua, who was allegedly the leader of the “Shanxi Gang” of senior officials and businesspeople with ties to the province.

The sources said Li, 56, was likely to take over as party chief of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, replacing Zhang Yi, 65, who has reached retirement age. Shanxi deputy party boss Lou Yangsheng, 56, who is also a former colleague of Xi, would likely become the province’s governor.

Lou worked alongside Xi in Zhejiang province from 2002 to 2007, during Xi’s time as the province’s party boss. He was posted to Shanxi after several top leaders of the province were detained in graft probes.

Sources say Lou Yangsheng is likely to become Shanxi’s governor. Photo: SCMP Pictures

“The new spree of reshuffles involving numerous high-ranking provincial and ministerial officials is preparation for the new line-ups for the party’s 19th national party congress,” Hong Kong-based veteran China watcher Johnny Lau Yiu-siu said. Lau said most of the provincial party chiefs or government heads would secure a seat in the party’s next Central Committee.

Ling Jihua, former right-hand man of ex-president, charged with graft, abuse of power, obtaining state secrets

But Li Xiaopeng’s transfer, if confirmed, did not necessarily mean a resurgence in the political influence of Li Peng’s family, because Sasac’s clout had declined, Lau said.

Li Xiaopeng became Shanxi’s first-ranked deputy governor in 2010 and took over as governor two years later. He is the lowest ranked of the Central Committee’s 171 alternate members, meaning he received the fewest votes of those members in an internal election in 2012.

State media also reported that Zhejiang governor Li Qiang was appointed party chief of Jiangsu, succeeding Luo Zhijun. Chen Bao­sheng, vice-president of the Chinese Academy of Governance, has also succeeded Education Minister Yuan Guiren as the ministry’s party boss.

Li Peng, was acting premier and then premier from 1987 to 1998 and was understood to have a strong power base in the state sector.

Li Xiaolin, Li Xiaopeng’s sister, has spent more than two decades serving in senior executive positions in state-owned power corporations.

Another source said Huang Xiaowei, also a Shanxi party standing committee member, may be promoted to deputy provincial party boss.

Huang, 55, was a standing committee member of the party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and vice-minister of supervision Minister before she was parachuted into Shanxi in September 2014.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Li Peng son tipped for top sasac job
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