According to a report carried out by the Chinese official news agency Xinhua, Yang Chuantang who was hitherto deputy secretary and Standing Committee member of the Sixth Tibet Autonomous Regional Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was appointed on Monday 20 October 2003 vice-governor and “acting governor” of the Qinghai province. Qinghai incorporates the greater part of the Tibetan region known traditionally as Amdo, thus making the appointment a transfer within the Tibetan areas of the PRC.
Yang, who was appointed during the sixth session of the Standing Committee of the 10th Provincial People’s Congress of Qinghai, essentially rubber-stamping a decision made earlier by the Central Party Committee, is also alternate member of 16th CCP Central Committee. His departure from the TAR is remarkable since Yang has recently been mentioned as a possible successor for the current TAR party secretary Guo Jinglong. Guo is reportedly suffering from ill health and speculations about his possible imminent replacement have been recently circulating, although he has been party secretary for only about three years. Yang’s departure from the TAR for Qinghai seems to preclude him from being Guo Jinlong’s successor. Yang Chuantang’s successor as TAR deputy party secretary is not yet known.
According to the Xinhua report, Yang Chuantang will replace Zhao Leji in Qinghai, who is said to have resigned from his post of governor. As far as TIN is aware, neither Zhao’s new post nor the reasons behind his resignation have been announced. That Yang Chuantang is said in the Xinhua report to be also appointed “acting governor” of Qinghai, suggests that he will, at a later date, be promoted to governor. Alternately, it is possible that Yang will become the first secretary of the Qinghai Party Committee since, according to the practice established by the CCP, the first secretary of the provincial party committee will hold the post of first vice-chairman of the provincial government at the same time.
Both Yang Chuantang and Zhao Leji are said to be connected to the Chinese president and CCP general secretary Hu Jintao. The appointment represents further consolidation of Hu’s power, i.e. appointing his allies to governorships. There is a possibility that Zhao is to be promoted to the Centre and this promotion will be announced at an appropriate time. Both Yang and Zhao, like Hu, have been connected to the Communist Youth League. Yang was transferred to the TAR during Hu’s time as TAR party secretary there. Zhao was promoted governor of Qinghai allegedly under Hu’s influence less than one year ago. Being only in his mid-forties, Zhao is the first member of the so-called ‘fifth generation’ of party leaders to have gained a top provincial post and achieved ministerial status.
