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Li Lecheng Named Party Secretary of Anhui, Strengthening China’s Semiconductor Hub
By Drooid · · How we work
Leadership Shift in Anhui Province
State news agency Xinhua reported that Li Lecheng, the minister of industry and information technology since April 2025, has been appointed party secretary of Anhui and a member of its standing committee, succeeding Liang Yanshun. The move is part of a broader personnel reshuffle announced after the Politburo meeting, which also reassigned Zhou Zuyi from Fujian to Henan.
Li Lecheng’s Track Record in Industrial Revitalisation
Li, 61, began his career in mechanical manufacturing after graduating in 1984 from the institution now known as Huazhong University of Science and Technology. He rose through technical and managerial ranks before becoming party secretary of Xiangyang in 2017, where he launched the Hubei Free-Trade Zone and attracted roughly 30 Fortune-500 firms, including Dongfeng, Nissan and Huawei. In October 2021 he moved to Liaoning as acting governor and deputy party secretary, later becoming the national industry minister in place of Jin Zhuanglong. His tenure has emphasized support for small-scale innovative firms to boost technological self-reliance.
Significance for China’s Semiconductor Strategy
Anhui hosts more than 400 semiconductor companies, notably Nexchip Semiconductor, the country’s third-largest chip foundry. Li’s appointment is viewed as a signal that Beijing will continue to prioritize the province as a core component of its semiconductor self-sufficiency drive. His prior experience in fostering foreign investment and high-end equipment manufacturing aligns with the government’s goal of modernising key industries and reducing reliance on external chip supplies.
Parallel Provincial Reassignments
The Paper reported that Wang Lujin, deputy party secretary of northern Hebei since June 2024, will serve as deputy to Zhou Zuyi in Henan. Zhou, who led Fujian from November 2022 after a long stint in the Central Committee’s Organisation Department, is being replaced in Fujian by Zhao Long, who has spent over two decades at the Ministry of Land and Resources and will become the province’s party chief.
Outlook
These leadership changes underscore the Chinese Communist Party’s focus on aligning provincial governance with national industrial priorities, particularly in high-technology sectors such as semiconductors. Observers note that Li’s proven ability to attract major manufacturers may accelerate Anhui’s role in China’s broader push for semiconductor self-sufficiency.