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 Xingrui | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 马兴瑞 | |||||||||||
_(cropped).jpg) Ma in 2016 | |||||||||||
| 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 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
editMa 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
editIn 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
editGuangdong
editIn 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 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.[7] Ma was elected as the Governor of Guangdong on 23 January 2017.[8] In October 2017, Ma was elected as a full member of the 19th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.[9] 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.[10]
Xinjiang
editIn December 2021, Ma was appointed as the Chinese Communist Party Committee Secretary of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.[11][12] 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.[13] In October 2022, Ma was elected as a member of the CCP Politburo.[14]
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.[15] In March 2024, Ma stated that sinicization of Islam in Xinjiang is "inevitable."[16]
In August 2024, Ma met with Tamasek executives from Singapore in Urumqi to boost foreign investment in Xinjiang, particularly in the energy sector.[17] That same month Ma, along with other senior officials, met with Cambodian king Norodom Sihamoni in Urumqi.[17][18]
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.[19]
Personal life
editMa 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Lim, Linette (24 August 2018). "14 Singapore companies sign agreements to collaborate with Guangdong companies". Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 20 May 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Laurie, Chen (7 March 2024). "Top official from China's Xinjiang says 'Sinicisation' of Islam 'inevitable'". Reuters. Retrieved 7 March 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.