Son of former premier Li Peng hands over anti-graft duties in Shanxi
Princeling governor Li Xiaopeng, of coal-rich Shanxi province, is to become the latest governor to share more power with his deputy as the Communist Party moves to contain the influence of top local leaders.
Princeling governor Li Xiaopeng, of coal-rich Shanxi province, is to become the latest governor to share more power with his deputy as the Communist Party moves to contain the influence of top local leaders.
Li would no longer be in direct charge of state-owned enterprises, anti-graft operations or auditing in the province, the provincial government website said yesterday. Instead, he will focus on the overall management of Shanxi's government.
Li, son of former premier Li Peng, is a rising star who has been closely watched by political pundits since he was appointed governor in 2013.
A governor is usually in charge of all powerful organisations in the provincial government. Analysts said that reducing the number of bodies a governor oversaw helped to balance power and reduce the chance of corruption.
Li Chengyan, a professor at Peking University's school of government, said: "A governor doesn't have to be in charge of a specific field, which also matches the central authority's call to limit the power of a boss."
Governors of at least four other provinces have made moves to share power with their deputies.
Li's anti-corruption, auditing and state-enterprise duties will be taken over by executive deputy governor Gao Jianmin. He will also oversee many other sections, including finance, taxation, land resources and major government building projects.
Li, former head of China Huaneng Group, began his political career in Shanxi in 2008 and was promoted to governor in 2013.
An outsider to the province, Li is not seen as part of the Shanxi clique being dismantled in the corruption crackdown that has brought down many senior officials with deep roots in the province, including Li Zhengce, who was vice-chairman of the province's political advisory body and Ren Runhou , a former provincial vice-governor.
