China on Wednesday removed Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen from his role as trade negotiator and replaced him with a former Chinese representative to the World Trade Organization, amid an escalating tariff war with the United States.
Li Chenggang, 58, who previously served as Assistant Commerce Minister during the first Donald Trump administration, has taken over from Wang, 59, as China’s international trade negotiator, according to a statement from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.
“Appples Bite Magazine” reports that Wang was the vice minister of commerce and international trade negotiation representative from April 2015 until April 2025.
Wang was born in Xuancheng, Anhui, in March 1966. He holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Hunan University, a master’s degree in economics from the University of International Business and Economics, and a PhD in economics from Peking University.
He joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in April 1986.
Wang was assigned to the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China in September 2003. He was director of the Department of Foreign Trade in December 2006.
He moved up the ranks to become assistant minister in August 2013 and vice minister in April 2015. Since 2022, he has also served as the international trade negotiation representative, a position at ministerial-level.
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