SFDA Personnel Changes The Chinese SFDA recently underwent significant and notable personnel change

SFDA Personnel Changes
The Chinese SFDA recently underwent significant and notable personnel changes. The former chief of the agency, Ming Li Shao, stepped down and Yin Li became the group’s new head on Feb. 20. Li came to the position with substantial expertise in the Chinese government and the Chinese health industry. Li obtained his medical degree at the University of Shandong in 1988. Afterward, he worked as an inspector for various Chinese government organizations, such as the Research Bureau of the State Council and the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs. In 2002, he served as a public healthcare consultant at Harvard University and worked as a representative of China in the World Health Organization. Since 2006, he has worked in several different positions at the Ministry of Health (MOH). His main responsibilities at the MOH included food safety, drug safety, drug distribution and supply management, infectious diseases and public health emergencies, and healthcare reforms.

In other personnel news, Ming Li Shao—having reached retirement age—stepped down as vice minister of the SFDA Right now, there are not many senior people who want to be associated with the SFDA due to its spotty history—corruption, for example—and the complex dynamics of the industry. No other replacements have been made. The three original vice ministers, Zhen Wu, Xuping Li and Zhenjia Bian, are still in place at the SFDA.