A new report indicates that resignations from China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) peaked during the period from 2014 to 2016, with many departing officials since taking up executive positions in the private sector.
Accord to the People’s Daily report during the period from 2008 to 2017 the Ministry of Commerce saw a total of 152 resignations, with a pronounced peak occurring during the three year period from 2014 – 2016.
While the period from 2008 to 2011 saw a maximum annual resignation number of 10 officials, this figure shot up to 27 in 2014, before hitting a peak of 30 in 2015, and remaining at the comparatively high level of 23 in 2016.
2017 saw MOFCOM resignations plunge back to just 8 for the full year.
During the three year period from 2014 – 2016 nationwide resignations of Chinese government officials also saw a sharp increase. In 2015 alone around 12,000 Chinese officials resigned from their positions, for a year-on-year rise of 43%.
The majority of former MOFCOM officials have since taken up jobs in the corporate sector, with some now serving as senior executives with tech giants such as Alibaba, Lenovo and Tencent.
Current positions of MOFCOM officials who resigned during the period from 2014 – 2016
| Year | Name of official | Previous MOFCOM position | Current position |
| 2014 | Cui Shufeng (崔书锋) | Anti-monopoly department | Vice-president of Mobike |
| Yin Haitao (印海涛) | E-commerce department | Executive at JD Finance’s public affairs department | |
| Shao Changfeng (邵长峰) | Global trade department | Chief Executive Officer of Bestones Consulting | |
| Wang Jiang (王疆) | Market establishment department | Vice-general manager of the public affairs center of Uxin | |
| 2015 | Huang Xin (黄忻) | Foreign trade department | Vice-president at Mengniu Group |
| Ouyang Cheng (欧阳澄) | International department | Chair of the e-commerce research centre at the Alibaba Research Institute | |
| Li Xiaoman (李小满) | E-commerce department | Chief supervisor at Netease’s government relations department. | |
| 2016 | Chen Rongkai (陈荣凯) | Office department | Senior chief supervisor at Lenovo Group. |
| Han Xi (韩曦) | Integrated department | Chief manager of public affairs department at Rookie Network. | |
| Zeng Chen (曾晨) | E-commerce department | Head of JD.com’s strategic research institute. |
