Shanxi Governor Rumored to Take Over as SASAC's New Big Boss

Shanxi Province Governor Li Xiaopeng is poised to become the new head of the Communist Party regulator's state-owned enterprises, reported the South China Morning Post.

The 56-year-old politician, who is former premier Li Peng's son, is likely to assume a new post as the head of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC). The post's current head, Zhang Yi, is set to retire.

According to the SCMP, Qinghai party boss Luo Huining would also be replacing Shanxi chief Wang Rulin. If pushed through, the reshuffle would be a rare case where a party chief and a governor of the same province get to be replaced simultaneously.

For analysts, the recent restructuring of officials opens the door to the "changing of the guard" at the party congress to be held next year. Officials meet for the congress every five years.

"The new spree of reshuffles involving numerous high-ranking provincial and ministerial officials is preparation for the new line-ups for the party's 19th national party congress," China watcher Johnny Lau Yiu-siu told the SCMP in an interview.

Lau added that many government leaders or provincial chiefs would get a seat in the party's upcoming Central Committee.

One example is former minister Xu Lin, who is set to succeed China's Internet czar Lu Wei as director for the Cyberspace Administration of China.

Meanwhile, the location of the rumored rare reshuffle is a controversial one.

Shanxi used to be among the "disaster zones," which were targeted by President Xi Jinping's campaign against graft and corruption.

"[Shanxi Province] was described as suffering from a 'landslide of corruption' among provincial officials," noted the SCMP.

Ling Jihua, the presidential aide who purportedly headed the so-called "Shanxi Gang," also resided in the province.

However, Li's potential transfer would not revive his family's political influence as the SASAC's authority had declined over the past years, said Lau via the SCMP.