Yin Li (politician)

Yin Li (Chinese: 尹力; pinyin: Yǐn Lì; born August 1962) is a Chinese politician and former public health official, serving since January 2016 as the Governor of Sichuan. A health professional with diverse international experience, Yin held leading positions in the China Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization, before entering government.

Biography

Yin was born in Linyi County, Shandong. He studied at Shandong Experimental High School and then Shandong Medical College (later merged with Shandong University). He earned a graduate degree in public health administration in the Soviet Union.^[1] In 1993 he began working at the State Council Research Office. At the research office, he served as the head of its international department, and as an inspection officer.^[1]

Between 2002 and 2003 Yin completed a study term as a visiting scholar at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. In May 2003 he began work at the Ministry of Health, where he served as deputy chief of staff, international cooperation director, chief of staff, and by September 2008, Vice Minister of Health. In 2004 he joined the executive committee of the World Health Organization.^[1]

In February 2012, he was named head of the State Drug Administration. In April 2013, he was named deputy director of the newly created National Health and Family Planning Commission, and deputy director of the China Food and Drug Administration, which was the result of the amalgamation of several government departments.^[1]

In March 2015, he was 'parachuted' into Sichuan to become deputy provincial party chief; in May 2015, he also became provincial propaganda chief.^[2] It was notable that prior to 2015, Yin had no regional political experience at all.^[3] On 29 January 2016, Wei assumed the post of Governor of Sichuan after his predecessor Wei Hong resigned in the wake of an internal party investigation into his conduct. Yin was the first provincial Governor to swear allegiance to the Constitution as part of his inauguration ceremony.^[4]

Yin is an alternate member of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

References