Wang Lixia


Wang Lixia is a Chinese politician of Mongol heritage, currently serving as Communist Party Secretary of Hohhot, the capital of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. As of 2019, she is the only female party chief of a provincial-level capital in China. Prior to that, she served as Director of the United Front Department of the CPC Inner Mongolia Committee from 2016 to 2019 and Vice Governor of Shaanxi from 2013 to 2016.

Early life and education

An ethnic Mongol, Wang was born in Jianping County, Liaoning, in June 1964. She was accepted to Liaoning University in October 1981. Then she studied, then taught, at Shaanxi Institute of Finance and Economics. She entered the workforce in September 1985, and joined the Communist Party of China in December 1992. In July 2000, she earned her Ph.D. in Economics from Xiamen University.

Political career

Wang began her political career in July 2000, when she was appointed deputy director of Shaanxi Provincial Statistical Bureau, and five years later promoted to the Director position. In January 2011, she was named acting mayor and deputy party chief of Tongchuan, a prefecture-level city rich in coal. She was installed as mayor in April of that year. In January 2013 she was promoted to become vice-governor of Shaanxi, where she was responsible for commerce, health and family planning, opening up and Taiwan affairs.
In October 2016, Wang was transferred to north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, where she was appointed director of the United Front Department of the CPC Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Committee and a member of the regional Standing Committee of the party. On August 31, 2019, she was appointed Communist Party Secretary of the capital Hohhot, breaking precedent and ending a long line of party chiefs who were native to Inner Mongolia. The post was vacated a few months earlier when her predecessor Yun Guangzhong was placed under investigation for corruption.
Wang was a delegate to the 12th National People's Congress and is a member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. She is an alternate member of the 19th CPC Central Committee.