China is making a revolution in the field of personnel policy in the field of public administration. Qinghai Acting Governor Zhuge, appointed on October 30, 2026, previously led Shanghai port operator SIPG. Shanxi Governor Lu Dongliang chaired the board of directors of Chalco Aluminum Company. China is entrusting more and more territory to managers who have already led large economic organizations.
The manpower reserve has been prepared for years. Political scientist Li Cheng in 2022 studied the biographies of 86 vice governors and members of the standing committees of the provincial party committees born in the 1970s. Forty-six people, or 53.5%, had mostly work experience in industry and financial institutions. The name "Technocrats 2.0" stuck to the new generation of scientific and technical managers. Economists and financiers are advancing along with engineers and scientists. Lou, for example, received an economic education.
The party deliberately widened this track. In explaining the 2019-2023 manpower plan, the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee pointed to the selection of leaders from enterprises and inter-regional appointments. The rules for the transition to the civil service, amended in 2019, stipulated the attraction of rare specialists. Political loyalty remains a prerequisite. Beijing exploits the professional skills of managers while maintaining party control over their promotion.
Organizational training complements administrative training. Lu became the vice governor of Shanxi in 2020, then headed the Datong Party Committee and was elected governor only in June 2025. After leaving SIPG in April 2013, Zhuge spent 13 years prior to his appointment at Qinghai, including stints in Shanghai and Hubei. The district requires decisions about the needs of many organizations that a single company manager could not make.
In Shanxi, industrial capacity is a very tangible issue.