The "Airborne" Leaders in Guangxi

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GUANGZHOU 000400 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/CM, DRL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PINR CH SUBJECT: The "Airborne" Leaders in Guangxi ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The leadership of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has no shortage of "airborne" (kong jiang) officials, as leaders who have previously served in Beijing are known, and it has witnessed major personnel changes since 2007. This is due in large part to the efforts by the Guangxi government and the central government in Beijing to improve the quality of local officials by attracting talent from outside Guangxi. Within Guangxi, Vice Chair Li Kang, Vice Chair Lin Nianxiu, Guilin Party Secretary Liu Jun, and Nanning Mayor Huang Fangfang are all leaders to watch. End Summary. -------------- Leadership Changes -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The slate of "airborne" leaders in Guangxi begins at the top. Guo Shengkun took over as Guangxi's party secretary in 2007. He was previously chair of China Aluminum Co. Ltd., a national state-owned enterprise. Guo replaced Liu Qibao, a young official with a Communist Youth League background who moved on to the position of party secretary of Sichuan Province. ¶3. (SBU) In addition to the party secretary, Guangxi has three new vice chairs of the regional government who previously served in positions outside the region. They include Executive Vice Chair Li Jinzao, who arrived in Guangxi in 1994 to serve as vice mayor in Guilin Municipality. Prior to moving to Guilin, he served as a division director in Beijing. After his arrival in Guilin, Li was promoted to the positions of Guilin party secretary, Guangxi Communist Party of China (CPC) Standing Committee member, and executive vice governor. Vice Chair Chen Zhangliang arrived in Guangxi after serving as president of China Agriculture University. Chen received his PhD overseas and is not a member of the CPC. Lin Nianxiu, former deputy director of the National Energy Leaders Workgroup based in Beijing, is also a relatively new vice chair in Guangxi. Both Lin and Chen arrived in Guangxi in 2007. ¶4. (SBU) New vice chairs from within Guangxi include Gao Xiong, former Guilin party secretary; Li Kang, former director general of Guangxi Personnel Department and deputy director general of the Organization Department of the Guangxi CPC; and Liang Shengli, promoted from the position of assistant chair. -------------- Rising Stars -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Because Guangxi is a minority ethnic autonomous region, a member of the Zhuang local minority must head the government. The current chair, Ma Biao, is in his first term and is 55 years old. He could serve another full five-year term after his current term expires in 2012. Three of the four current Zhuang vice chairs, Chen Wu, Lin Daoxi, and Liang Shengli, are approximately the same age as Ma and thus are unlikely to succeed him. The one official who stands out as a possible future chair is Li Kang, born in 1957. With a Communist Youth League background, she worked in Guangxi Nationalities College from 1982 to 1990. She is also the only Zhuang vice chair with alternate membership to the Central CPC Committee. ¶6. (SBU) Among the "airborne" vice chairs, Lin Nianxiu is also a promising figure with the potential to reach a senior position in Beijing. A Han born in 1963, Lin previously served in several central agencies in Beijing, including the Ministry of Electronic Industry (a precursor to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology),the Central Planning Commission, and the State Council. He also twice served in staff positions with director general rank working for senior officials in different agencies, including the State Council. Only 44 years old when promoted to the vice ministerial position of deputy director of the State Energy Leaders Workshop, Lin will strengthen his background in local government service through his assignment in Guangxi and reinforce his promotion potential. -------------- -- Hot Spots for Shining Stars: Guilin and Nanning -------------- -- ¶7. (SBU) Officials in Guilin and Nanning have better odds for promotion than officials in other parts of Guangxi. Many regional leadership positions have been filled by principal officials in Guilin, such as Yuan Fenglan, former vice chair of the Guangxi government and current vice chair of the Guangxi Congress; Li Jinzao, current executive vice chair; and Gao Xiong, current vice chair. The current Guilin party secretary is Liu Jun, born in 1957. With central government experience in the Ministry of Forestry (precursor of the State Forestry Administration) and Guangxi experience as vice mayor of Wuzhou, mayor of Beihai and director general of the Guangxi Administration of Industry and Commerce, Liu has a strong chance of becoming a vice chair in the next term of GUANGZHOU 00000400 002 OF 002 government, due to begin in 2013. ¶8. (SBU) Nanning officials are also likely targets for promotion in the next term. The current chair, Ma Biao, was the former party secretary of Nanning. The current Nanning mayor, Huang Fangfang, is a Zhuang born in 1958. His educational background in mineral exploration and work experience are similar to that of Guangxi Party Secretary Guo Shengkun. Huang's boss, the current Nanning party secretary, Che Rongfu, is already 58 years old. Huang stands a good chance of replacing Che in two years after Che's retirement and then moving into a higher position in 2013. -------------- Filling the Talent Gap -------------- ¶9. (SBU) The Guangxi government has been aggressive in its efforts to attract talented officials from outside the autonomous region to serve in different levels of the administration. A division director from the Guangxi Investment Promotion Bureau told us that in recent years, Guangxi had organized several public selections to fill senior positions up to the rank of deputy director general. In the most recent public selection, the government reserved the deputy director general positions for outsiders only. JACOBSEN