Ma Xingrui
Ma Xingrui | |||||||||||
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马兴瑞 | |||||||||||
Communist Party Secretary of Xinjiang | |||||||||||
Assumed office 25 December 2021 | |||||||||||
Deputy | Erkin Tuniyaz (chairman) | ||||||||||
General secretary | Xi Jinping | ||||||||||
Preceded by | Chen Quanguo | ||||||||||
Governor of Guangdong | |||||||||||
In office 30 December 2016 – 25 December 2021 | |||||||||||
Leader | Hu Chunhua (2016–2017) Li Xi (2017 onwards) | ||||||||||
Preceded by | Zhu Xiaodan | ||||||||||
Succeeded by | Wang Weizhong | ||||||||||
Communist Party Secretary of Shenzhen | |||||||||||
In office 26 March 2015 – 30 December 2016 | |||||||||||
Deputy | Xu Qin (mayor) | ||||||||||
Preceded by | Wang Rong | ||||||||||
Succeeded by | Xu Qin | ||||||||||
Director of the China National Space Administration | |||||||||||
In office March 2013 – November 2013 | |||||||||||
Preceded by | Chen Qiufa | ||||||||||
Succeeded by | Xu Dazhe | ||||||||||
Personal details | |||||||||||
Born | October 1959 (age 65) Shuangyashan, Heilongjiang, China | ||||||||||
Political party | Chinese Communist Party | ||||||||||
Alma mater | Liaoning University of Technology Tianjin University Harbin Institute of Technology | ||||||||||
Chinese name | |||||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 马兴瑞 | ||||||||||
Traditional Chinese | 馬興瑞 | ||||||||||
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Ma Xingrui (Chinese: 马兴瑞; born October 1959) is a Chinese politician and aerospace engineer who is the Communist Party secretary of Xinjiang and a member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party.
Ma is recognized as one of China's top scientists. Ma served as Vice President of Harbin Institute of Technology, General Manager of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, Director of the China National Space Administration, and chief commander of Chang'e 3, China's first lunar exploration mission. He later served as the Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology, Head of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of Guangdong, Communist Party Secretary of Shenzhen, Deputy Party Secretary of Guangdong, and Governor of Guangdong. He became the Communist Party secretary of Xinjiang in December 2021 and a member of the Politburo in October 2022.
Education and academic career
[edit]Ma Xingrui was born on 6 October 1959 in Shuangyashan, Heilongjiang province, to a family of mine workers in China's industrial northeast. His branch of the family migrated from Yuncheng County, Shandong to Shuangyashan in the 1930s during his grandfather's generation.[1] He received a bachelor's degree at Fuxin Mining College (now Liaoning University of Technology) in 1982, and went on to graduate school for general mechanics at Tianjin University. He earned his doctorate in mechanics at Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) in 1985.[2]
Ma joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in January 1988. He stayed at HIT to pursue post-doctoral work, first working as an instructor and associate professor before being named a professor in 1991. In April 1992 he became dean of the school of mechanics at the institute, later becoming the vice dean of the Aerospace College in 1985. In April 1996 he was named vice president of the institute.[2][3]
Aerospace industry
[edit]In May 1996, Ma was appointed vice dean of China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), and became the leader and chief engineer of the Shijian 5 satellite project. In 1999, he was named deputy general manager of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). In December 2003 he was additionally appointed Chairman of the Sino Satellite Communications and worked on various lunar missions.[3] In September 2007, Ma was promoted to General Manager of CASC.[4]
In 2013, Ma was appointed Director of the China National Space Administration, Director of the China Atomic Energy Authority, Director of the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, and Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology.[4] He was the chief commander of the successful Chang'e 3 mission, China's first lunar surface exploration.[5]
Political career
[edit]Guangdong
[edit]In 2012, Ma was elected as a full member of the 18th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.[4] In November 2013, Ma left his posts in the world of science and was transferred to Guangdong to serve as deputy party secretary of the province and concurrently the Secretary of the provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission. In March 2015, he was named Communist Party Secretary of Shenzhen, replacing Wang Rong.[5] Ma's appointment in Shenzhen placed him in his first executive party leadership role. His appointment also elevated the status of the office, given that his predecessor Wang is only an alternate member of the Central Committee, while Ma is a full member.[6] In late 2015, Ma gave Shenzhen's three largest bus operators – Shenzhen Bus Group, Shenzhen Eastern Bus Company and Shenzhen Western Bus Company – a three-year deadline to establish all-electric fleets.[7] In October 2016, he announced Shenzhen would surrender the Lok Ma Chau Loop to Hong Kong with the intention to co-develop it with the city.[8]
In December 2016, Ma was appointed as the acting Governor of Guangdong. In a break with tradition, Ma became the first governor in over 30 years to have not been native to the province.[9] Ma was elected as the Governor of Guangdong on 23 January 2017.[10] In March 2017, while meeting the Guangdong provincial delegation at the National People's Congress, Ma said he hoped the Greater Bay Area would "compete with bay areas in Los Angeles, New York and Tokyo Bay". He called on cooperation on a wide range of social and economic policies and said the Guangdong provincial government asked the China Centre for International Economic Exchanges to study the initiative.[11]
In October 2017, Ma was elected as a full member of the 19th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.[12] In November 2017, Ma and Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam signed a deal to house mainland Chinese authorities at the West Kowloon terminus of the Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong Express Rail Link.[13] During his tenure as governor, in August 2018, 14 companies from Singapore signed agreements with Guangdong companies to collaborate in research and development, technology, smart cities development, transport and logistics, education, biomedical sciences and professional services.[14] In September 2021, Ma became the co-head of the Hengqin Management Committee along with Macau Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng.[15]
Xinjiang
[edit]In December 2021, Ma was appointed as the Chinese Communist Party Committee Secretary of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.[16][17] During his first tour of Ürümqi, he called on to modernize Xinjiang's supply chains and improve the international business environment.[18] In Janury 2022, during the local two sessions meeting in Xinjiang, Ma called for upholding ethnic unity and guiding "religions to adapt to China’s socialist society".[19] Since his accession to the post, Xinjiang has seen relative normalization in some aspects, such as turnstiles between residential areas being removed and two-day breaks in weekends for public officials being restored.[20] In October 2022, Ma was elected as a member of the CCP Politburo.[21]
In March 2023, Ma visited Astana, Kazakhstan and met with president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and prime minister Älihan Smaiylov, discussing boosting trade; his predecessor Chen Quanguo did not undertake any trips overseas during his tenure in Xinjiang.[22] In September 2023, he met with Corinne Vargha, the head of the International Labour Organization's international labour standards department, where he said the accusations of forced labor in Xinjiang were "reckless rumors".[23] In March 2024, Ma stated that sinicization of Islam in Xinjiang is "inevitable."[24] In June 2024, he met with Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan.[25] In July 2024, after Xinjiang completed a military-police joint exercise, Ma called for eliminating "all terrorist threats at the initial stage, and push forward with normalizing counterterrorism work".[26] In August 2024, Ma met with Tamasek executives from Singapore in Ürümqi to boost foreign investment in Xinjiang, particularly in the energy sector.[27] That same month Ma, along with other senior officials, met with Cambodian king Norodom Sihamoni in Urumqi.[27][28]
In an interview by Voice of America, Abduweli Ayup, a Norway-based Uyghur activist, accused Ma for the expansion of forced labor. According to Ayup, as of November 2024, 240 Uyghurs were sent back to Xinjiang by Ma's administration who sought refuge in Shanghai and Beijing.[29]
Personal life
[edit]Ma is married to Rong Li, who was his classmate from graduate school. The couple have a daughter, who holds a doctoral degree.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ "马兴瑞2年内三次跨界式工作换岗" [Ma Xingrui made three cross-border job changes in two years]. Beijing Youth Daily. 26 March 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
- ^ a b c "Ma Xingrui 马兴瑞" (PDF). Brookings Institution. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
- ^ a b 中央批准马兴瑞任中国航天科技集团公司党组书记 [The central government approved Ma Xingrui to be appointed Party Secretary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation]. People's Daily (in Chinese). 20 September 2007. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- ^ a b He Huifeng (26 March 2015). "China's moon mission chief Ma Xingrui named party chief of high-tech hub Shenzhen". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
- ^ "马兴瑞执掌深圳 副省级市唯一"特例"" [Ma Xingrui takes charge of Shenzhen, the only "special case" in a sub-provincial city]. Duowei. 26 March 2015. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- ^ Cheung, Rachel (10 November 2017). "Shenzhen set to have world's first all-electric public bus fleet". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ Zhao, Shirley (2 February 2017). "Will hi-tech zone prove a happy hunting ground for Hong Kong?". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ "马兴瑞任广东省副省长、代理省长". The Paper. 30 December 2016. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
- ^ "李玉妹当选省人大常委会主任 马兴瑞当选广东省省长". Xinhua. 24 January 2017.
- ^ Zhou, Laura (6 March 2017). "Hong Kong-southern China Greater Bay Area 'to rival New York, Tokyo'". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ "中国共产党第十九届中央委员会委员名单-新华网". www.xinhuanet.com. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
- ^ Yau, Cannix; Lau, Stuart (18 November 2017). "Hong Kong signs joint checkpoint deal for high-speed rail project, allowing mainland Chinese officials to work on city soil". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ Lim, Linette (24 August 2018). "14 Singapore companies sign agreements to collaborate with Guangdong companies". Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ Cheung, Tony (17 September 2021). "Hong Kong risks falling behind in race to benefit from Qianhai plan, lawmakers say, as they call for officials to establish new links with Shenzhen". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ "新疆维吾尔自治区党委主要负责同志职务调整 马兴瑞任新疆维吾尔自治区党委书记" [The Party Committee of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is mainly responsible for adjusting the positions of comrades. Ma Xingrui is appointed as the Secretary of the Party Committee of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.]. Xinhua News Agency (in Chinese). 25 December 2021. Archived from the original on 25 December 2021. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
- ^ Ni, Vincent (26 December 2021). "China replaces Xinjiang party boss associated with Uyghur crackdown". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021.
- ^ Wang, Amber (28 December 2021). "Xinjiang's new party chief calls for efforts to boost supply chains and improve international business". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ Zheng, William (24 January 2022). "Uphold China's unity and socialist society, Xinjiang Communist Party chief tells minority and religious leaders". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ 穆堯 (21 February 2022). "恢復雙休——馬興瑞新政第一步?". 香港01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 8 August 2022.
- ^ "(CPC Congress) List of members of 20th CPC Central Committee-Xinhua". english.news.cn. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
- ^ Lau, Jack (29 March 2023). "Xinjiang Communist Party boss ventures to Kazakhstan on trade mission". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ Zhuang, Sylvie (1 September 2023). "Xinjiang party chief meets UN labour group as China seeks to confront forced labour claims". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ Laurie, Chen (7 March 2024). "Top official from China's Xinjiang says 'Sinicisation' of Islam 'inevitable'". Reuters. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ Wang, Orange (6 June 2024). "Is Turkish minister's Xinjiang visit an effort to draw a line under human rights claims?". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ Lo, Kinling (6 July 2024). "China's Xinjiang Communist Party chief urges 'unwavering' terror crackdown". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ a b "Energy sector in focus as Xinjiang party chief meets Temasek executives". South China Morning Post. 21 August 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ Horng, Pengly (18 August 2024). "King's visit to China's Xinjiang region deemed diplomatic success - Khmer Times". Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ "Uyghur exiles accuse Xinjiang's leader of repression beyond borders". Voice of America. 26 November 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- 1959 births
- Living people
- Governors of Guangdong
- Chinese aerospace engineers
- Chinese Lunar Exploration Program
- People's Republic of China politicians from Heilongjiang
- Political office-holders in Guangdong
- Chinese Communist Party politicians from Heilongjiang
- Tianjin University alumni
- Harbin Institute of Technology alumni
- Academic staff of Harbin Institute of Technology
- Politicians from Shuangyashan
- Scientists from Heilongjiang
- China National Space Administration people
- Members of the 18th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party
- Engineers from Heilongjiang
- Members of the 19th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party
- Members of the 20th Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party
- Delegates to the 12th National People's Congress
- Members of the 11th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
- Political office-holders in Xinjiang
- Secretary of the CCP Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Committee