Li Lecheng, who previously oversaw policies for advanced industries such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI) at China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, has been appointed as the Secretary of Anhui Province.
According to a report from China's state-run Xinhua News Agency on September 23, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China appointed Li as the Secretary of Anhui Province. The Minister of Industry and Information Technology is equivalent to the Minister of Industry in South Korea.
Born in 1965, Li has held various positions, including Vice Governor of Hubei Province and Governor of Liaoning Province, before becoming the Minister of Industry and Information Technology in 2024. He has been instrumental in advancing China's manufacturing capabilities and policies related to AI and semiconductors. Anhui Province is home to Changxin Memory Technologies (CXMT), China's largest DRAM semiconductor company, and has seen rapid growth in advanced manufacturing sectors such as AI, robotics, and electric vehicles. Hefei, the capital of Anhui, is emerging as a major hub for high-tech industries.
This appointment signifies the central government's strategy to place a key figure in advanced industry policy directly in the field. Amid ongoing U.S. semiconductor restrictions, this move may aim to enhance Anhui's role in strengthening China's self-sufficiency in critical industries like semiconductors and AI.
Additionally, on the same day, the Central Committee of the Communist Party appointed Hu Changsheng, the Secretary of Gansu Province, as the Secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Region. In a meeting held the previous day, Hu stated, "I will not betray the trust of President Xi Jinping" and emphasized the need to intensify the fight against division. Hu has previously served as the Secretary of the Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province, as well as in various roles in Qinghai Province, Xiamen, and Heilongjiang Province, and has been the Secretary of Gansu Province since December 2022. His experience in the Tibetan region and in the western part of China is believed to have been a factor in this appointment.
Wu Xiaojun, the Secretary of Qinghai Province, has been transferred to Gansu Province, while Luo Dongchuan, the Governor of Qinghai Province, has been promoted to Secretary of Qinghai. Zhou Zuyi, who served as Secretary of Fujian Province, has been moved to Henan Province, and Zhao Long, the Governor of Fujian Province, has been promoted to Secretary of Fujian.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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