On 26 September 2019, Hubei government appointed former Hubei Organization Department Deputy Head Xiao Juhua (肖菊华) as Hubei Vice Governor, succeeding Chen Anli (陈安丽), who was appointed Hubei CCPSC member and Organization Department Head in May.
A female official is required at every level of government in China as a demonstration of gender equality. With Chen Anli’s departure from Hubei government, the province has been lacking a female vice governor for four months, primarily because it is hard to find a competent female official—although it is required for all levels of government to have female officials, female officials are still systematically discriminated in China’s cadre promotion.