China Environmental Law

Out with old, in with the new as we approach the Chinese New Year.  Although in this case “the old” wasn’t that old having held his job at the new National Energy Administration (NEA) for only several months.  Caijing reportsthat Zhao Xiaoping, currently deputy director of NEA and formerly director of the energy bureau under the NDRC, is being transferred to the post of vice chairman of the regional government of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.  He was a specialist in energy “price setting.” Internal sources were reported to be “quite shocked” at the transfer.  It doesn’t strike us as a promotion, but who knows in the Byzantine world of the Chinese bureaucracy.

The “new” is Liu Qi, Hainan Provincial Party Standing Committee; he will take Zhao’s place as a deputy director at the NEA. 

Liu Qi (刘琦) was  born in February 1956 in Shanxi Province.  He served until 1998 in the former State Planning Commission.  He was transferred to Hainan Province and served successively as director of the Office of Development Planning, and vice governor.  In March 2007, he was appointed to the Hainan Provincial Party Standing Committee.  He does not appear to have any particular expertise in energy issues, but he was described as a person of gentle demeanor who is easy to get along with.

Liu Qi will reportedly rank ahead of the other NEA deputy director, Sun Qin.  He will assume his position immediately after the Spring Festival holiday.