China makes room for younger faces on middle rungs of Communist Party promotions ladder

A number of ‘post-70s’ officials born between 1970 and 1979 have achieved full ministerial rank this year

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China’s ruling Communist Party is seen to be sourcing its next generation of leaders from among government administrators, state-owned enterprise managers, and professional and technical talent pools. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 11:00am, 28 Dec 2024Updated: 2:30pm, 28 Dec 2024

A slew of cadres in their early 50s clinched significant administrative positions with full ministerial rank this year, as China’s ruling Communist Party moves younger faces into mid-tier leadership positions.

The latest to be promoted was Liu Jie, 54, who was made acting governor of Zhejiang in eastern China on December 18. Zhejiang is well known as a power base of President Xi Jinping, who governed the province in the early 2000s.

Liu’s appointment makes him China’s youngest provincial governor. He is also the third “post-70s” cadre – a term used to describe officials born between 1970 and 1979 – to achieve full ministerial rank.

After graduating from University of Science and Technology Beijing with a degree in metallurgy, Liu started his career in 1992 as a technician with Xiangtan Iron and Steel Group in central Hunan province.

He spent nearly 15 years with the state-owned firm, rising to general manager before being appointed director of the Hunan Department of Commerce in 2008.

After a decade-long rotation to Jiangxi province in the southeast and Guizhou in the southwest, Liu’s career took a decisive leap in 2021 when he was picked to replace a scandal-hit party boss in Zhejiang.