Meng Xuenong

Meng Xuenong (; born August 1949) is a Chinese politician. Meng worked as a factory worker in Beijing before getting involved in politics through the local Communist Youth League organization. He was the Vice Mayor of Beijing between 1993 and 2003, before being promoted to mayor for a brief interlude in 2003. He was sacked as mayor only after a few months on the job due to his government's mismanagement of the SARS epidemic.

Meng then worked as a low-profile functionary in the South-North Water Transfer Project, before making a political comeback as the Governor of Shanxi in 2007. He resigned that post a year into his term, following what was considered a botched response to the 2008 Shanxi mudslide by the provincial government. In December 2009, Meng was given a post on the body that manages the work of the directly-controlled organizations of the Communist Party's central committee . In 2012, he gained a largely ceremonial post as the head of a legal affairs committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

He has been a member of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party since November 2002.

Career Meng was born in Penglai County, Shandong. Meng studied engineering at Beijing Normal University (1969–72) during the later stages of the Cultural Revolution before being assigned to Beijing's No.2 Motor Vehicle Plant. He joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in July 1972, he became a vice-mayor of Beijing in 1993. The Politburo Standing Committee decided to remove him from his posts on 16 April as part of a double sacking with health minister Zhang Wenkang. The pair were held responsible both for the public health failure and the damage to trust in the Party. The sacking was described by one journalist as "the biggest political earthquake since the time of Tiananmen in 1989." The harsh treatment was privately questioned by other cadres in Beijing, but they were assured that Meng's co-operative attitude would be rewarded. Five months later, he was quietly created deputy director of the South-North Water Transfer Project, reporting to the State Council.

Faction and policies Meng is a member of the tuanpai faction of former Communist Youth League officials and has close personal ties to Party General secretary Hu Jintao. As he stated himself, "My career in the CCYL provided a foundation for my political career later on." At a news conference in January 2003, he portrayed himself as an old friend of Hu, stating "Comrade Jintao was a major leader in the Communist Youth League 20 years ago and some of us worked under his leadership... What I remember most deeply are his fairness, personal integrity and selflessness. Those qualities make up his unique charisma." However, this has been subsequently disputed. Hu allegedly fired his protégé in order to remove Zhang, linked to rival Jiang Zemin. Some reports claimed the mayor was "sacrificed" to protect Liu Qi.

The People's Daily at one point portrayed Meng as reformist. Meng said that his CYL experience helps him stay in touch with young people and remain open-minded. Meng once resided in Beijing's Siheyuan, and kept in touch with his former neighbours during his time as mayor, claiming a special understanding of the people. On his election in Taiyuan, he told delegates of the People's Congress , "I will do my utmost best to get familiar with Shanxi and become like a native... [the governorship is] a great honour, but also comes with great responsibility."