Personnel Update | Leaders of the Newly Established Administrative Regions

Administrative adjustments are often linked to personnel arrangements, and the configuration of top party and government leaders is closely watched.

Recently, the Secretary of the Xisha District Committee and the District Mayor of Sansha City in Hainan Province have made public appearances. According to the official website of the Sansha City government, on December 6, after completing the agenda of the fifth session of the first People’s Congress of Xisha District, the meeting concluded on Yongxing Island in Sansha City.

The conference elected Huang Xiaohua as the Director of the Standing Committee of the Xisha District People’s Congress through a secret ballot, and elected Wen Yifan as the District Mayor of Xisha. Huang Xiaohua, the Secretary of the Xisha District Committee and Director of the Standing Committee of the District People’s Congress, delivered a concluding speech.

The official information indicates that Huang Xiaohua has been appointed as the Secretary of the Xisha District Committee and Director of the Standing Committee of the District People’s Congress, while Wen Yifan has been appointed as the District Mayor.

Sansha City was officially established on July 24, 2012, under Hainan Province, governing the islands and waters of the Xisha Islands, Zhongsha Islands, and Nansha Islands. It is the southernmost, largest in area, smallest in land area, and least populated prefecture-level city in China.

In April 2020, the Ministry of Civil Affairs announced that the State Council had recently approved the establishment of Xisha District and Nansha District in Sansha City, Hainan Province. Xisha District governs the islands and waters of the Xisha Islands and oversees the islands and waters of the Zhongsha Islands, with the District People’s Government located on Yongxing Island. Nansha District governs the islands and waters of the Nansha Islands, with the District People’s Government located on Fiery Cross Reef.

In recent years, cities such as Hangzhou, Jinan, and Tianjin have also seen significant administrative adjustments with the establishment of new administrative districts. Notably, most newly appointed top party and government leaders come from the local area.

On April 9, 2021, the official website of the Zhejiang Provincial Government released a notice regarding the adjustment of certain administrative divisions in Hangzhou: with the approval of the State Council, the original Shangcheng District and Jianggan District of Hangzhou were abolished, and a new Shangcheng District was established; the original Xiacheng District and Gongshu District were abolished, and a new Gongshu District was established; the original Yuhang District was abolished, and a new Yuhang District was established; and Linping District and Qiantang District were established in Hangzhou.

Liu Ying, who previously served as the Secretary of the original Xiacheng District, was transferred to be the Secretary of the new Shangcheng District; Chen Jin, who previously served as the Secretary of the original Shangcheng District, was transferred to be the Secretary of Gongshu District. Zhang Zhenfeng, who was the Secretary of Yuhang District, previously served as a member of the Standing Committee of the Hangzhou Municipal Committee and Secretary of the original Yuhang District. The first Secretary of Linping District, Chen Rugen, was previously the Deputy Secretary of the original Yuhang District and District Mayor. Ke Jixin, who was the Secretary of Qiantang District, previously served as the Vice Mayor of Hangzhou and Secretary of the Party Working Committee of Hangzhou Qiantang New Area.

In January 2019, the prefecture-level city of Laiwu in Shandong Province, which had only two urban districts, was abolished, and its jurisdiction was transferred to Jinan City; Jinan City established Laiwu District, with the administrative area of the original Laiwu City’s Laiwu District as the administrative area of Laiwu District; and established Gangcheng District, with the administrative area of the original Laiwu City’s Gangcheng District as the administrative area of Gangcheng District.

Most of the original party and government leaders of the two districts continued to serve as the Secretary and District Mayor of the newly established Laiwu District and Gangcheng District in Jinan. For example, after the establishment of Laiwu District, Ma Baoling was transferred from the Secretary of the original Laiwu City’s Laiwu District to the Secretary of Jinan City’s Laiwu District, and Qin Lei was transferred from the District Mayor of the original Laiwu City’s Laiwu District to the District Mayor of Jinan City’s Laiwu District, both of whom resigned in August 2019 and January 2022, respectively. After the establishment of Gangcheng District, Wu Shuhua, who was the Vice Mayor of Laiwu City, became the Secretary of Jinan City’s Gangcheng District, and Cao Dianjun, who was the District Mayor of Laiwu City’s Gangcheng District, became the District Mayor of Jinan City’s Gangcheng District, both of whom resigned in July 2021 and August 2019, respectively.

Regarding the personnel arrangements after the administrative adjustments in Jinan and Laiwu, Shandong media reported that the Shandong Provincial Leadership Cadre Conference and the Provincial Government Press Conference mentioned, “We must always adhere to the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party and build a strong cadre team. We need to strengthen the construction of leadership teams, rationally allocate leadership cadres, and ensure serious political life within the Party, allowing leaders to gain experience and grow in challenging frontline and complex environments.”

Earlier, in 2009, the State Council approved the adjustment of certain administrative divisions in Tianjin, abolishing the Tanggu District, Hangu District, and Dagang District, and establishing the Tianjin Binhai New Area, with the administrative areas of the three original districts as the administrative area of the Binhai New Area.

On December 29, 2009, He Lifeng, who was then the Deputy Secretary of the Tianjin Municipal Committee, was elected as the Secretary of the first Committee of the Communist Party of China in Tianjin Binhai New Area. Previously, he served as the Secretary of the Work Committee and Director of the Management Committee of Binhai New Area.

On January 10, 2010, the first session of the People’s Congress of Tianjin Binhai New Area concluded, electing Zong Guoying as the first District Mayor of Tianjin Binhai New Area. Zong Guoying had previously served as the Chairman and General Manager of Binhai High-tech Zone Development and Construction Co., Ltd., and as the Deputy Secretary of the Tianjin Municipal Committee’s Binhai New Area Work Committee and Deputy Director of the Binhai New Area Management Committee.