Li Jianguo was elected as Secretary of Shandong Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) with Jiang Daming and Liu Wei as the vice secretaries at the First Plenum of the 9th CPC Shandong Provincial Committee on June 28. After that meeting all provincial level Party officials of 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipal cities were elected, ending a process that began in October 2006.

A recent report indicated that many new officials, acceding to positions of power in this election, were trained in economics.

The per capita GDP of China reached US$1,000 in 2002, but there remained a gulf between eastern and western regions. To help reduce the difference between developed and developing areas, local officials are required to possess detailed economic knowledge and an understanding of social development.

These are examples of this new generation of provincial-level officials:

Wang Qishan, Mayor of Beijing, has been devoted to the research of rural area policy for several years. He served as Vice President of the Construction Bank of China in 1989, Vice Governor of the People's Bank of China in 1993 and President of the Construction Bank of China in 1994. He was elected President of the Chinese Investment Society in 1995. He was also elected Vice Governor of Guangdong, one of China's rich provinces, in 1998.

Li Keqiang, secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Liaoning Provincial Committee, graduated from the School of Economics of Peking University. Under the guidance of Li Yining, a famous economist of China, he obtained a doctor's degree in Economics from Peking University in 1995. Li is also the winner of Sun Zhifang Economics Prize, the greatest economics award in China, with his essay China's Ternary Economy Structure. He served as Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Henan Provincial Committee and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Henan People's Congress.

Li Yuanchao, Secretary of CPC Jiangsu Provincial Committee, graduated from Peking University with a Master degree in Economic Management in 1986. He was also a student of Li Yining.

Dai Xianglong, Mayor of Tianjin Municipality, is an advanced economist. Since beginning his career in 1968, he worked tirelessly for banks until 2002. In March 1998, he attained the post of Governor of the People's Bank of China.

Yu Youjun, the former mayor of Shenzhen in Guangdong Province, has served as governor of north China's Shanxi Province for two years. Wang Min, who was Deputy Governor of Jiangsu Province, now serves as Secretary of the CPC Jilin Provincial Committee.

(China.org.cn by Chen Lin, October 16, 2007)