Ma Xingrui | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 马兴瑞 | |||||||||||
 Ma in 2013 | |||||||||||
| Party Secretary of Xinjiang | |||||||||||
| In office 25 December 2021 – 1 July 2025 | |||||||||||
| Deputy | Erkin Tuniyaz (chairman) | ||||||||||
| General secretary | Xi Jinping | ||||||||||
| Preceded by | Chen Quanguo | ||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Chen Xiaojiang | ||||||||||
| Governor of Guangdong | |||||||||||
| In office 30 December 2016 – 25 December 2021 | |||||||||||
| Leader | Hu Chunhua (2016–2017) Li Xi (2017 onwards) | ||||||||||
| Preceded by | Zhu Xiaodan | ||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Wang Weizhong | ||||||||||
| Party Secretary of Shenzhen | |||||||||||
| In office 26 March 2015 – 30 December 2016 | |||||||||||
| Deputy | Xu Qin (mayor) | ||||||||||
| Preceded by | Wang Rong | ||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Xu Qin | ||||||||||
| Director of theChina National Space Administration | |||||||||||
| In office March 2013 – November 2013 | |||||||||||
| Preceded by | Chen Qiufa | ||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Xu Dazhe | ||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||
| Born | October 1959 (age 66) Shuangyashan,Heilongjiang, China | ||||||||||
| Political party | Chinese Communist Party | ||||||||||
| Alma mater | Liaoning University of Technology Tianjin University Harbin Institute of Technology | ||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 马兴瑞 | ||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 馬興瑞 | ||||||||||
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Ma Xingrui (Chinese:马兴瑞; born October 1959) is a Chinese politician and aerospace engineer who is a member of thePolitburo of the Chinese Communist Party. He served as theParty Secretary of Xinjiang from 2021 to 2025.
Ma is recognized as one of China's top scientists. Ma served as Vice President ofHarbin Institute of Technology, General Manager ofChina Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, Director of theChina National Space Administration, and chief commander ofChang'e 3, China's firstlunar exploration mission. He later served as the Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology, Head of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of Guangdong,Party Secretary of Shenzhen,Deputy Party Secretary of Guangdong, andGovernor of Guangdong.
Ma became the Party secretary of Xinjiang in December 2021 and a member of the Politburo in October 2022. His tenure has seen a relative easing of security policies enacted in Xinjiang and more focus on economic development. He was succeeded byChen Xiaojiang in July 2025.
Ma Xingrui was born on 6 October 1959 inShuangyashan,Heilongjiang province, to a family of mine workers in China's industrial northeast. His branch of the family migrated fromYuncheng County,Shandong to Shuangyashan in the 1930s during his grandfather's generation.[1] He received a bachelor's degree at Fuxin Mining College (nowLiaoning University of Technology) in 1982, and went on to graduate school for general mechanics atTianjin University. He earned his doctorate in mechanics atHarbin Institute of Technology (HIT) in 1985.[2]
Ma joined theChinese Communist Party (CCP) in January 1988. He stayed at HIT to pursue post-doctoral work, first working as an instructor and associate professor before being named a professor in 1991. In April 1992 he became dean of the school of mechanics at the institute, later becoming the vice dean of the Aerospace College in 1985. In April 1996 he was named vice president of the institute.[2][3]
In May 1996, Ma was appointed vice dean ofChina Academy of Space Technology (CAST), and became the leader and chief engineer of theShijian 5 satellite project. In 1999, he was named deputy general manager ofChina Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). In December 2003 he was additionally appointed Chairman of theSino Satellite Communications and worked on various lunar missions.[3] In September 2007, Ma was promoted to General Manager of CASC.[4]
In 2013, Ma was appointed Director of theChina National Space Administration, Director of theChina Atomic Energy Authority, Director of theState Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, andVice Minister of Industry and Information Technology.[4] He was the chief commander of the successfulChang'e 3 mission, China's firstlunar surface exploration.[5]
In 2012, Ma was elected as a full member of the18th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.[4] In November 2013, Ma left his posts in the world of science and was transferred to Guangdong to serve as deputy party secretary of the province and concurrently the Secretary of the provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission. In March 2015, he was named Party Secretary ofShenzhen, replacingWang Rong.[5] Ma's appointment in Shenzhen placed him in his first executive party leadership role. His appointment also elevated the status of the office, given that his predecessor Wang is only an alternate member of the Central Committee, while Ma is a full member.[6] In late 2015, Ma gave Shenzhen's three largest bus operators –Shenzhen Bus Group, Shenzhen Eastern Bus Company and Shenzhen Western Bus Company – a three-year deadline to establish all-electric fleets.[7] In October 2016, he announced Shenzhen would surrender theLok Ma Chau Loop to Hong Kong with the intention to co-develop it with the city.[8]
In December 2016, Ma was appointed as the actingGovernor of Guangdong. In a break with tradition, Ma became the first governor in over 30 years to have not been native to the province.[9] Ma was elected as the Governor of Guangdong on 23 January 2017.[10] In March 2017, while meeting the Guangdong provincial delegation at theNational People's Congress, Ma said he hoped theGreater Bay Area would "compete with bay areas inLos Angeles,New York andTokyo Bay". He called on cooperation on a wide range of social and economic policies and said the Guangdong provincial government asked theChina Centre for International Economic Exchanges to study the initiative.[11]
In October 2017, Ma was elected as a full member of the19th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.[12] In November 2017, Ma and Hong Kong Chief ExecutiveCarrie Lam signed a deal to house mainland Chinese authorities at the West Kowloon terminus of theGuangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong Express Rail Link.[13] During his tenure as governor, in August 2018, 14 companies from Singapore signed agreements with Guangdong companies to collaborate in research and development, technology, smart cities development, transport and logistics, education, biomedical sciences and professional services.[14] In September 2021, Ma became the co-head of theHengqin Management Committee along with Macau Chief ExecutiveHo Iat-seng.[15]
In December 2021, Ma was appointed theChinese Communist Party Committee Secretary of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.[16][17] During his first tour ofÜrümqi, he called on to modernize Xinjiang's supply chains and improve the international business environment.[18] In January 2022, during the localtwo sessions meeting in Xinjiang, Ma called for upholding ethnic unity and guiding "religions to adapt to China’s socialist society".[19] Since his accession to the post, Xinjiang has seen relative normalization in some aspects, such asturnstiles between residential areas being removed and two-day breaks in weekends for public officials being restored.[20] In October 2022, Ma was elected as a member of theCCP Politburo.[21]
In March 2023, Ma visited Astana, Kazakhstan and met with presidentKassym-Jomart Tokayev and prime ministerÄlihan Smaiylov, discussing boosting trade; his predecessorChen Quanguo did not undertake any trips overseas during his tenure in Xinjiang.[22] In September 2023, he met with Corinne Vargha, the head of theInternational Labour Organization's international labour standards department, where he said the accusations of forced labor in Xinjiang were "reckless rumors".[23] In March 2024, Ma stated thatsinicization of Islam in Xinjiang is "inevitable."[24] In June 2024, he met with Turkish foreign ministerHakan Fidan.[25] In July 2024, after Xinjiang completed a military-police joint exercise, Ma called for eliminating "all terrorist threats at the initial stage, and push forward with normalizing counterterrorism work".[26] In August 2024, Ma met withTemasek executives from Singapore in Ürümqi to boost foreign investment in Xinjiang, particularly in the energy sector.[27] That same month Ma, along with other senior officials, met with Cambodian kingNorodom Sihamoni in Ürümqi.[27][28]
In an interview byVoice of America,Abduweli Ayup, a Norway-based Uyghur activist, accused Ma for the expansion of forced labor. According to Ayup, as of November 2024, 240 Uyghurs were sent back to Xinjiang by Ma's administration who sought refuge inShanghai andBeijing.[29] In March 2025, Ma held meeting with Thai Deputy Prime MinisterPhumtham Wechayachai regarding Thailand's deportation of 40 Uyghurs to China.[30] He was succeeded as party secretary byChen Xiaojiang on 1 July 2025.[31]
Ma is married to Rong Li, who was his classmate from graduate school. The couple have a daughter, who holds a doctoral degree.[2]
| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Governor of Guangdong 2016–2021 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Director ofState Administration for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense 2013 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Party Secretary of Xinjiang 2021–2025 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Party Secretary of Shenzhen 2015–2016 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission 2013–2015 | Succeeded by |
| Deputy Party Secretary of Guangdong 2013–2016 | Succeeded by | |
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| People | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
