China changes agriculture chief for second time in two years

BEIJING – China has removed Mr Han Jun as the most senior Communist Party official at the agriculture ministry, a sudden move that marks the second such reshuffle in under two years.

The Party Central Committee appointed Mr Zhang Zhu as the new party chief, according to an official statement released late on April 28.

The position paves the way for him to become agriculture minister.

Mr Han was appointed to the same party role in June 2024 and became minister a few months later.

Food security, always front of mind for Beijing, has become even more important in recent years, as China copes with the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Covid-19 and trade tensions with top agriculture suppliers including the US.

A trained agronomist, 58-year-old Mr Zhang most recently served as deputy party secretary of the Xinjiang Uigur Autonomous Region in China’s northwest.

He previously held several agriculture-related roles in the neighbouring Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, according to state media.

Mr Han served less than two years in the role and his removal marks the third change in six years, unusually frequent turnover for a senior position.

It adds to a flurry of reshuffles in the top echelons of the Communist Party over recent months.

The statement did not provide details on the reason for his departure, or his next assignment.

At 62, Mr Han is still below the de facto retirement age of 65 for ministerial-rank officials.

Before his latest role, Mr Han served as a senior government official in Anhui and Jilin provinces, both major grain-producing regions.

Earlier in his career, he was a leading researcher at a government think tank focused on rural development, and received one of the country’s top academic honours for his work.

Mr Han replaced Tang Renjian, who was probed and later convicted of bribery. BLOOMBERG