China appoints son of ex-president Hu Jintao to senior govt role

BEIJING (AFP) - The son of a former Chinese leader Hu Jintao who was dramatically escorted out of a major political meeting in 2022 has been appointed to a senior ministerial position, the government said on Tuesday.

Hu Haifeng has been named vice head of the country's human resources and social security ministry, according to a statement on the department's website that provided no further details. Hu, 51, is the son of former president Hu Jintao, who ruled as China's paramount leader for a decade before his successor Xi Jinping rose to power in 2012.

Hu Jintao was at the centre of a political firestorm that erupted at a key Communist Party congress in October 2022 as Xi broke precedent to secure a third term in office. The frail former leader was abruptly led off-stage at the event's closing ceremony, seemingly against his will and to the shock of the assembled global media.

Officials later said he was experiencing an episode of poor health, but the move sparked speculation that he had been purged on Xi's orders. Hu Haifeng has held a string of mid-level official posts in his career to date, most recently serving as party committee secretary in the eastern city of Lishui, according to his official biography.