Mainland China's frontline city against Taiwan, Xiamen in Fujian Province, has seen a leadership change, with Lin Tao, the youngest Vice Secretary-General of the State Council, assuming the role of Secretary of the CPC Xiamen Municipal Committee.
According to the Fujian Daily on Friday (April 3), with the approval of the CPC Central Committee, Lin Tao has become a member of the Standing Committee of the Fujian Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Xiamen Municipal Party Committee. The official announcement did not disclose the whereabouts of former Xiamen Party Secretary Cui Yonghui, who still had public engagements this week. On Friday, he also presided over a leading cadres' meeting in Xiamen, where the personnel adjustment was officially announced.
Interviewed scholars analyzed that although Lin Tao's transfer from Vice Secretary-General of the State Council to Party Secretary of Xiamen is just a parallel move in a different location, it allows him to strengthen his record of leading local governments, giving him future opportunities to join the "post-70s" successor pool. Lin Tao is currently a 'double non' (neither Central Committee member nor alternate member) at the helm of a sub-provincial city. Whether he can become a member of the Central Committee at the 21st National Congress of the Communist Party next year is something to watch.
According to public information, the 55-year-old Lin Tao is from Jieyang, Guangdong. He graduated from the English Department of Guangzhou Foreign Languages Institute in 1993. He has worked for a long time in Guangdong, serving many years in macroeconomics, foreign affairs, and Hong Kong and Macau affairs at the provincial government level, and gained experience in cities such as Jieyang, Shanwei, and Heyuan.
In July 2023, he was promoted to Vice Governor of Guangdong Province, and about a year later, moved to Beijing to serve as Vice Secretary-General of the State Council, becoming the youngest person to hold this office and the first "post-70s" official in this position. Following his roles as Guangdong Vice Governor and Vice Secretary-General of the State Council, Secretary of the Xiamen Municipal Committee is Lin Tao's third sub-provincial position.
According to Chinese media reports, during his tenure as Vice Secretary-General of the State Council, Lin Tao accompanied Politburo member and Vice Premier Liu Guozhong to various events multiple times, including the production ceremony for the Guinea Mass Rail project constructed by China Railway in Maribaya Port, Guinea, in November last year, and the National Main Event of the Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival in Yantai, Shandong, in September last year.
Since 2017, except for Tang Dengjie being parachuted from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, three other governors of Fujian have been promoted from secretary posts in Xiamen or Fuzhou. The current Fujian governor Zhao Long and retired Yu Weiguo were both promoted from Xiamen Party Secretary to Fujian governor; the current Party Secretary of Yunnan, Wang Ning, was promoted from Fuzhou Party Secretary to Fujian governor in 2020.
Following this precedent, after Lin Tao’s appointment as Xiamen Party Secretary, he also becomes a potential contender for the next Fujian governorship. Another contender is Fuzhou Party Secretary Guo Ningning, who is an alternate member of the 20th Central Committee. Guo Ningning was parachuted into Fujian from a senior state-owned bank position in 2018 and became Fujian Deputy Party Secretary in May last year.
In addition to Xiamen, two other sub-provincial cities have seen new top officials this year. Si Chuan Organization Minister Jin Lei was transferred to be Party Secretary of Shenzhen, and Yan’an Party Secretary Hao Huijie was transferred to be Party Secretary of Xi’an.
Chang Chih-chung, Professor at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Kainan University, Taiwan, told Lianhe Zaobao that Xiamen, as a planned separately listed city, sub-provincial city, and frontline economic special zone facing Taiwan, gives Lin Tao's new role more weight than the average sub-provincial party secretary. More importantly, this appointment allows him to gain more local experience and enrich his resume. If he is able to enter the Central Committee at the 21st Party Congress, he may join the "post-70s" successor echelon.
Chang further noted that for cadres like Lin Tao, who are 55 or older and still gaining experience at the vice-ministerial level, it shows that the CCP’s push for younger cadres is not fast enough; most top provincial and ministerial posts are still held by those born in the 1960s.
Chang also pointed out that from Lin Tao's public CV, it’s hard to tell apart from serving as Liu Guozhong’s secretary in the State Council which top leaders he has interacted with. Judging from current credentials alone, if competing for a top provincial position in Fujian, alternate Central Committee member Guo Ningning might have a slight edge.
Cui Yonghui, only one year older than Lin Tao, has not had his next position publicly disclosed since stepping down as Xiamen Party Secretary. At Friday's Xiamen municipal leadership conference where the personnel change was announced, Cui Yonghui presided over the meeting and spoke, stating, “I fully endorse and resolutely obey the decisions of the Central Committee and the Provincial Party Committee.”
According to public data, Cui Yonghui worked in Hubei for many years in his early career. In July 2020, he was promoted across provinces to Fujian Vice Governor, then in June 2021 to Fujian Provincial Standing Committee member and Secretary-General, becoming then Fujian Party Secretary Yin Li’s chief of staff; four months later, he took over as Xiamen Party Secretary, becoming the first “post-70s” 'top official' of a sub-provincial city.
Interviewed scholars analyzed that although Lin Tao's transfer from Vice Secretary-General of the State Council to Party Secretary of Xiamen is just a parallel move in a different location, it allows him to strengthen his record of leading local governments, giving him future opportunities to join the "post-70s" successor pool. Lin Tao is currently a 'double non' (neither Central Committee member nor alternate member) at the helm of a sub-provincial city. Whether he can become a member of the Central Committee at the 21st National Congress of the Communist Party next year is something to watch.
According to public information, the 55-year-old Lin Tao is from Jieyang, Guangdong. He graduated from the English Department of Guangzhou Foreign Languages Institute in 1993. He has worked for a long time in Guangdong, serving many years in macroeconomics, foreign affairs, and Hong Kong and Macau affairs at the provincial government level, and gained experience in cities such as Jieyang, Shanwei, and Heyuan.
In July 2023, he was promoted to Vice Governor of Guangdong Province, and about a year later, moved to Beijing to serve as Vice Secretary-General of the State Council, becoming the youngest person to hold this office and the first "post-70s" official in this position. Following his roles as Guangdong Vice Governor and Vice Secretary-General of the State Council, Secretary of the Xiamen Municipal Committee is Lin Tao's third sub-provincial position.
According to Chinese media reports, during his tenure as Vice Secretary-General of the State Council, Lin Tao accompanied Politburo member and Vice Premier Liu Guozhong to various events multiple times, including the production ceremony for the Guinea Mass Rail project constructed by China Railway in Maribaya Port, Guinea, in November last year, and the National Main Event of the Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival in Yantai, Shandong, in September last year.
Since 2017, except for Tang Dengjie being parachuted from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, three other governors of Fujian have been promoted from secretary posts in Xiamen or Fuzhou. The current Fujian governor Zhao Long and retired Yu Weiguo were both promoted from Xiamen Party Secretary to Fujian governor; the current Party Secretary of Yunnan, Wang Ning, was promoted from Fuzhou Party Secretary to Fujian governor in 2020.
Following this precedent, after Lin Tao’s appointment as Xiamen Party Secretary, he also becomes a potential contender for the next Fujian governorship. Another contender is Fuzhou Party Secretary Guo Ningning, who is an alternate member of the 20th Central Committee. Guo Ningning was parachuted into Fujian from a senior state-owned bank position in 2018 and became Fujian Deputy Party Secretary in May last year.
In addition to Xiamen, two other sub-provincial cities have seen new top officials this year. Si Chuan Organization Minister Jin Lei was transferred to be Party Secretary of Shenzhen, and Yan’an Party Secretary Hao Huijie was transferred to be Party Secretary of Xi’an.
Chang Chih-chung, Professor at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Kainan University, Taiwan, told Lianhe Zaobao that Xiamen, as a planned separately listed city, sub-provincial city, and frontline economic special zone facing Taiwan, gives Lin Tao's new role more weight than the average sub-provincial party secretary. More importantly, this appointment allows him to gain more local experience and enrich his resume. If he is able to enter the Central Committee at the 21st Party Congress, he may join the "post-70s" successor echelon.
Chang further noted that for cadres like Lin Tao, who are 55 or older and still gaining experience at the vice-ministerial level, it shows that the CCP’s push for younger cadres is not fast enough; most top provincial and ministerial posts are still held by those born in the 1960s.
Chang also pointed out that from Lin Tao's public CV, it’s hard to tell apart from serving as Liu Guozhong’s secretary in the State Council which top leaders he has interacted with. Judging from current credentials alone, if competing for a top provincial position in Fujian, alternate Central Committee member Guo Ningning might have a slight edge.
Cui Yonghui, only one year older than Lin Tao, has not had his next position publicly disclosed since stepping down as Xiamen Party Secretary. At Friday's Xiamen municipal leadership conference where the personnel change was announced, Cui Yonghui presided over the meeting and spoke, stating, “I fully endorse and resolutely obey the decisions of the Central Committee and the Provincial Party Committee.”
According to public data, Cui Yonghui worked in Hubei for many years in his early career. In July 2020, he was promoted across provinces to Fujian Vice Governor, then in June 2021 to Fujian Provincial Standing Committee member and Secretary-General, becoming then Fujian Party Secretary Yin Li’s chief of staff; four months later, he took over as Xiamen Party Secretary, becoming the first “post-70s” 'top official' of a sub-provincial city.