China’s ministry at the forefront of US technology rivalry gets a new chief

Name: Pompeo urges all nations to 'push back' against China on visit to the UK
Uploaded: 2020-07-31T12:20:08.000Z
Duration: 1 min 17 s
Description: Pompeo urges all nations to 'push back' against China on visit to the UK

Xiao Yaqing will take over from current Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) head Miao Wei, who has reached the retirement age

The 61-year-old will have control over key issues, from the licensing of new technologies to electric cars, and China’s 5G communication network development

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In his new role, Xiao Yaqing will have control over key issues, from the licensing of new technologies to electric cars and China’s 5G communication network development. Photo: Reuters

Zhou Xin

Published: 8:20pm, 31 Jul 2020Updated: 11:38pm, 31 Jul 2020

China has appointed a new head of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the government agency on the front line of its technology rivalry with the United States.

Xiao Yaqing, who was most recently the head of the State Administration for Market Regulation, will take over from current minister Miao Wei, who has reached the retirement age of 65, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

Having been appointed MIIT party chief on Friday a day after a meeting of China’s policymaking Politburo, Xiao will be nominated by Premier Li Keqiang and then endorsed by the Chinese parliament to become minister.

The 61-year-old Xiao becomes Beijing’s chief cadre in charge of the country’s industrial and technological development at a time when China is accelerating its domestic development to cut reliance on imported technology and to achieve self-sufficiency amid its rivalry with the US.

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Pompeo urges all nations to 'push back' against China on visit to the UK

MIIT played a key role in the now scrapped “Made in China 2025” plan, which outlined Beijing’s ambitions to dominate 10 cutting-edge technologies, from artificial intelligence to 5G communications and robotics. The plan triggered strong protests from the US and European Union, forcing Beijing to shelve it, at least officially.

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