杏吧原创

An engineer with extensive experience working abroad is the Chinese government鈥檚 surprise appointment as new science supremo.

University president Wan Gang, who worked in Germany for car maker Audi for more than a decade, was revealed as China鈥檚 new science minister on 27 April. The appointment has left China-watchers wondering what to think, as it鈥檚 rare for anyone who has spent a long period abroad to get a cabinet post in China.

Chi Wang, who studies US-China relations at Georgetown University in Washington DC, reckons the answer lies in the country鈥檚 desire to both clean up its environment and expand its car industry. Wan, based at Tongji University, has been advising the Chinese car industry since 2000, using what he learned from his time at Audi to help improve engine efficiency and reduce exhaust emissions back home. Next up is a plan to reduce emissions still further so that Chinese cars can enter the US and European markets. Wan is the man that the Communist party leaders want in charge, says Wang.

So much so, he adds, that they don鈥檛 appear to care that Wan is not a party member, another rarity for a cabinet minister.