On December 26, the Liaoning authorities announced the dismissal of former Deputy Governor Gao Tao as a Liaoning Provincial People’s Congress representative. Gao Tao, who comes from a military industry background, had already been relieved of his duties as provincial governor in March of this year.
According to reports from mainland media Peng Pai News, the Liaoning Provincial People’s Congress Standing Committee issued a notice on the 26th stating that Gao Tao had been removed from his position as a Liaoning Provincial People’s Congress representative by the Panjin City People’s Congress Standing Committee.
Public records show that Gao Tao, 56 years old, has held various positions within the Chinese Electronics Technology Group, including Director of the Fifty-Fifth Institute, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Executive Director, Party Secretary, and General Manager of the South China Group of China Electronics Corporation. In 2019, he became a member of the Party Committee and Deputy General Manager of China Electronics Technology Group Co., Ltd. He later assumed the role of Deputy Governor of Liaoning Province in 2021, overseeing areas such as technological innovation and market regulation.
In March of this year, the Liaoning Provincial People’s Congress Standing Committee had already announced the removal of Gao Tao from his position as Deputy Governor of Liaoning, without specifying any reasons.
In recent years, officials with backgrounds in the Chinese Communist Party’s military industry system have often “disappeared” or been removed from their positions, with many cases undisclosed reasons and whereabouts.
On December 24th, eight senior officials who had suddenly resigned and disappeared from sight had their qualifications as members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference revoked. Among them were Cao Jianguo, Zhang Dongchen, Zeng Yi, and Fan Youshan, all from the military industry system.
Cao Jianguo, who had long been involved in the development of ballistic missile weapon systems, held the position of Chairman of China Aviation Engine Group before being removed from his role. He is also an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. In March of this year, Cao Jianguo, who was under 62 years old, suddenly disappeared from the position of Chairman on the group’s official website and has not been seen since.
Zhang Dongchen, 63 years old, was the Chairman of China Satellite Network Group (ChinaStar), before his disappearance. On June 13, Guo Ping, former Deputy Director of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, took over as Chairman of ChinaStar, leaving Zhang Dongchen’s whereabouts unknown.
Zeng Yi, born in May 1965, served as General Manager of China Electronics Information Industry Group in 2021 and was promoted to Chairman in 2023. In April of this year, there was a change in the position of Chairman at China Electronics, with General Manager Li Ligong promoted to Chairman. Zeng Yi, who is not yet at retirement age, has an unknown whereabouts.
Fan Youshan, 62 years old, has been Vice Chairman and General Manager of China Electronics Technology Group Co., Ltd since February 2015, and later became Vice Chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce and Vice President of the China Association of Enterprises and Presidents. However, his name has disappeared from the leadership column of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce.