Sheng Guangzu


Sheng Guangzu was the last Chinese Minister of Railways before the position was abolished in March 2013, and the first Genenal Manager of China Railway Corporation. He was formerly the head of the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China. He initially held several lower positions in the Ministry of Railways, and moved up the ranks starting in 2000. Sheng was also a member of the 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Early life and education

Born in April 1949 in Nanjing, he is a member of the China's majority Han ethnic group and holds a bachelor's degree.

Career

While deputy governor of the Ministry of China Railway Communication, he supported the creation of China Netcom to compete with China Telecom. He became a board member of China Netcom and the Ministry of Railways was given a quarter interest in the company.
Sheng replaced his predecessor Liu Zhijun who was dismissed for corruption. During his tenure, the Wenzhou train collision occurred on July 23, 2011, killing 40, and injuring 192.
Sheng retired in October 2016. He was replaced by Lu Dongfu, as the first director of the National Railways Administration. In November 2016, he was appointed as Vice-Chairperson of the National People's Congress Financial and Economic Affairs Committee.