China’s former top scientist-turned-city party boss rushes back to Shenzhen after landslide
Ma Xingrui, who led nation’s Chang’e-3 lunar programme, took over in Shenzhen in March as part of central government efforts to boost high-tech industry and innovation in booming city
Scientist-turned city party boss Ma Xingrui rushed back to Shenzhen on Sunday from Beijing, where he was attending an important meeting laying out plans for the nation’s future economic policies, after hearing news of the massive landslide.
It remains unclear if the disaster, which engulfed 33 buildings and left 91 people missing at the Hengtaiyu Industrial Park in the city’s Guangming New District on Sunday afternoon will harm the career of one of the nation’s rising political stars.
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A nearby section of the arterial West-East Gas Pipeline also exploded, state-run China Central Television reported.
Ma was once China’s top space scientist, and spent much of his career working in the fields of science and aerospace.
He was formerly head of the China National Space Administration and the State Administration for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence, and was in charge of the Chang’e-3 lunar programme.
His appointment to the booming border city was seen as a move by the central government to help boost high-tech industry and innovation of Shenzhen.
