Since taking office more than one year ago, China’s Hu Jintao, drawing from his own faction, has actively assigned leadership roles to top positions in various provinces, cities, and autonomous regions. Sixteen people from Hu’s clan received general secretary or governorship positions in provinces throughout China. In addition, more than 30 cadres (all are former staff of the CCP’s Youth League) have been appointed Deputy Minister, an important provincial position. Among the former Youth League alumni is a 46-year-old “iron woman,” Shen Yueyue. She is Deputy Minister of the Department of Organization of the Communist Party’s Central Committee. She oversees all central and provincial departments, providing the final word in overall personnel decisions.
The following is a list of those promoted by Hu after the CCP’s 16th Congress:
Li Keqiang—Secretary of the CCP Committee of Hunan province, formerly the First Youth League Secretary
Ji Yunshi—Governor of Hebei province, formerly Secretary of the Youth League Committee in Jiangsu province
Li Yuanchao—Secretary of the CCP Committee of Jiangsu province, formerly the Secretary of the Central Youth League
Li Chengyu—Governor of Hunan province, formerly Secretary of the Youth League Committee of Ningxia province
Huang Huahua—Governor of Guangdong province, formerly Secretary of the Youth League Committee of Guangdong province
Qian Yunlu—Secretary of Guizhou province, formerly Secretary of the Youth League Committee of Hubei province
Yang Chuantang—Deputy Governor of Qinghai province, formerly Secretary of the Youth League Committee of Shandong province
Wang Lequan—Secretary of Xinjiang Autonomous Region, formerly Vice Secretary of the Youth League Committee of Shandong province
Song Fude—Secretary of Fujian province, formerly Secretary of the Youth League Central Committee
{mospagebreak}
Ma Qizhi—President of Ningxia Autonomous Region, formerly Secretary of the Youth League Committee of Ningxia Autonomous Region
Yang Jin—Deputy President of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, formerly Secretary of the Youth League of Inner Mangolia.
Zhang Baoshun—Governor of Shanxi province, formerly Secretary of the Youth League Central Committee.
In addition, Hu Jintao’s Central Youth League colleagues-former Secretaries and Standing Committee members-have also received appointments to important positions in provincial and ministerial departments. These include:
Li Zhanshu—Deputy Secretary of the CCP Committee of Heilongjiang province (next in line as Governor of Heilongjiang province); formerly Secretary of the Youth League of Hebei province;
Wu Aiying—Deputy Minister of the Standing Committee of the Department of Justice (and ready to take office as Minister of Department of Justice); formerly Vice Secretary of the Youth League Committee of Shandong province;
Huang Xiaojin—Deputy Secretary of the CCP Committee of Fujian province, and Standing Deputy Provincial Governor of Fujian; formerly Secretary of the Youth League Committee of Fuzhou City, Fujian province.
Since last year, seven regional leaders in deputy provincial positions were promoted to provincial positions. Four of them are former Youth League staff.
The majority of these “Youth League” cadres were nominated and cleared by Shen Yueyue. Moreover, after the CCP Central Committee approved their appointment, the majority of these officials were announced and sent to office by Shen Yueyue. In the Central Department of Organization, Shen Yueyue is responsible for the examination and background check of all candidates. She has considerable power and control of personnel changes at provincial and ministerial levels.
Shen Yueyue was born in Hangzhou in 1958. She was the Vice Secretary and Secretary of the Youth League Committee of Zhejiang province. In 1995, she became the Deputy Decretary of the CCP Committee of Hangzhou City. On March 6, 1997, she was appointed Secretary of the CCP Committee of Shaoxing city. In October 1997, she was nominated as an alternate member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the CCP at only 39 years of age. In 2000, she was promoted to CCP Standing Committee member of Zhejiang province, and Minister of Department of Organization. In 2001, she was again promoted to Deputy Secretary of CCP committee of Zhejiang province. In April 2002, she changed places with her Anhui province counterpart, Qiao Chuanxiu. In February 2003, less than three months after Hu Jintao became the General Secretary of the CCP Central Committee, Shen was transferred from Anhui to Beijing. She was appointed Deputy Minister of the Organization Department of the Communist Party’s Central Committee—thus becoming the “Personnel Manager” of Hu Jintao.