As the importance of electricity in the future AI era becomes increasingly emphasized, China has been appointing officials from state-owned power companies.
Since last year, 13 provincial secretaries of the Chinese Communist Party have been replaced, with three of them coming from power companies, according to a report by Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao on September 14. The secretary position is equivalent to that of a chief of staff in China. The provincial party committee secretary serves as the chief of staff to the party secretary and also holds a seat on the Standing Committee of the Politburo, the party's core decision-making body. A standing committee member ranks within the top seven of the provincial party committee, holding a position equivalent to that of a vice minister or higher.
In July, Chu Wei, the deputy secretary of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region government, gained attention when he was appointed as a party committee secretary. At 56, Chu previously served as the chief engineer at the Ningxia Daba Power Plant and worked at the Ningxia Power Group, where he became president in 2013 and chairman in 2017 before transitioning to politics in 2021.
Peng Yong, who previously served as deputy general manager of China Huaneng Group and Datang Group, was appointed as the secretary of the Hubei Provincial Party Committee last year. Additionally, Wang Zhengying, a former official at China Power Construction Group, was promoted to secretary of Yunnan Province last year.
Furthermore, Tang Yifeng, the deputy governor of Guangdong Province, is expected to be appointed as the secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee. At 53, Tang has held positions as the chairman of the Jiangsu Power Company under the State Grid Corporation and as deputy general manager of the Southern Power Grid Corporation.
Recently, the trend of appointing individuals from power companies to key local government positions reflects the urgency of expanding power networks across various provinces. In the future AI era, a stable power supply to operate data centers holds significant strategic value. The recruitment of power company personnel is part of China's efforts to prepare for the AI era.
Historically, China has drawn talent from state-owned enterprises. There have been periods when many officials were appointed from the oil industry, as well as from the aerospace, defense, and financial sectors. Observers predict that in the future, officials with expertise in AI and robotics will rise to prominence.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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