News: Former Hangzhou Mayor Xu Liyi (徐立毅) was appointed today as Henan CCPSC member and Zhengzhou Party Secretary.
Quick Take: It is very clear that officials from Shanghai, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu are recently favored by the top leadership for their experience in economy, industry and hi-tech—A number of high-profile transfers were made recently from China’s eastern, coastal, economically better-off provinces to inland, developing provinces, including the earlier appointment of Shanghai CCPSC member and Executive Vice Mayor Zhou Bo (周波) to Liaoning Vice Party Secretary position. Xu’s appointment from Hangzhou to Zhengzhou is the latest of such trend—these officials are usually promoted in ranking from their old posts to their new ones—for instance, Zhou’s appointment from Shanghai CCPSC to Liaoning as Vice Party Secretary seems to be on the same ranking, but Vice Party Secretary being the no.3 of the province is indeed more important than CCPSC member. Similarly, Hangzhou Mayor is a vice-provincial job but being within CCPSC is different to Xu—these are rewards for officials working in a much more challenging environment.