New Liaoning Province Dalian City Committee Secretary Li Qiang shares the same name as Li Qiang, a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Premier of the State Council, attracting attention from the public. Among the current national-level CPC officials, former Politburo Standing Committee members Wang Yang and Zeng Qinghong also have provincial-level officials with the same name, namely the current Vice Secretary-General of the State Council Wang Yang and the former Chongqing Municipal Committee Standing Committee member and Minister of Organization Zeng Qinghong.
Interestingly, former Chongqing Municipal Committee Standing Committee member and Minister of Organization Zeng Qinghong, who was removed from office at the age of 55 in 2017 with an unknown whereabouts, is no longer visible in the Baidu Baike entry, with only the former Politburo member Zeng Qinghong listed.
Reported by Liaoning Daily, on September 12, 2026, a leadership conference of leading cadres was held in Dalian City, Liaoning Province, announcing that Dalian Mayor Li Qiang was promoted to Liaoning Provincial Committee Standing Committee member and Dalian City Committee Secretary, relieving Xiong Maoping of his duties as Deputy Secretary of the Liaoning Provincial Committee and Committee Secretary of Dalian City.
According to the public resume, the newly appointed Dalian City Committee Secretary Li Qiang, born in November 1968, had long served in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, holding positions such as Deputy Secretary-General of the Shenyang Municipal Government, Director of the Shenyang City Planning and Land Resources Bureau, Deputy Secretary and District Head of the CPC Shenyang Xin District, Deputy Secretary and District Head of the CPC Heping District, Secretary of the CPC Heping District Committee, and CPC Shenyang Municipal Committee Standing Committee Member and Secretary-General. In January 2021, he was transferred to Secretary of the Yingkou City Committee; in March 2024, he was promoted to Deputy Governor of Liaoning Province, advancing to the deputy departmental level. In December 2025, he was transferred to Deputy Secretary of the Dalian Municipal Committee and Acting Mayor; in January 2026, he was officially elected Mayor of Dalian.
The appointment of the new Dalian City Committee Secretary Li Qiang, sharing the same name with Li Qiang, a member of the CPC Politburo and Premier of the State Council, has sparked public attention, with netizens jokingly speculating, “Is Premier Li Qiang moving down to the grassroots level?”
Baidu Baike shows that there are 979 entries for “Li Qiang” currently, with the only provincial-level official named “Li Qiang” besides the national-level State Councilor Li Qiang being the new Dalian City Committee Secretary Li Qiang.
Similar to the national-level official Li Qiang, former Politburo Standing Committee member Wang Yang also shares the same name with a provincial-level official. According to Baidu Baike, there are 272 entries for “Wang Yang,” with two provincial-level officials named “Wang Yang,” besides the former Politburo Standing Committee member Wang Yang:
Former Minister of the Seventh Ministry of Machinery Industry Wang Yang, born in 1920, was promoted to Major General in 1964 and held positions such as Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of the Shenyang Military Region, Minister of the Seventh Ministry of Machinery Industry, Deputy Commander of the Beijing Military Region, etc., passing away on April 17, 2001.
Current Vice Secretary-General of the State Council Wang Yang, born in February 1969 in Zhenniang, Guizhou, previously served as Deputy Director of the Sichuan Provincial Department of Transportation, Deputy Secretary and Deputy Governor of the Ganzi Prefecture Committee of Sichuan Province, Deputy Secretary of the Ganzi Prefecture Committee…