Wang Qingxian, former Secretary of the Qingdao Municipal Party Committee in Shandong Province, was newly elected as the Governor of Anhui Province, China, a NEAR member, in early February.

Governor Wang majored in philosophy at college and earned his doctoral degree in economics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Afterward, he worked as a high-ranking executive at influential press companies, including People's Daily, China Information News, and others. He served as the Secretary of the Qingdao Municipal Party Committee, Shandong Province in 2019 and was elected Vice Governor and then Governor of Anhui Province in 2021.

Since it joined NEAR as an official member in 2016, Anhui Province has actively participated in various international events hosted by the NEAR Secretariat, such as the Young Leaders Forum, the Youth Art Contest, etc.

NEAR Secretary General Kim Ok-chae sent a congratulatory letter to the new Governor Wang Qingxian on his inauguration on February 23 and asked Anhui Province to continue its efforts to enhance exchange and cooperation between Northeast Asian regional governments.