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Overseas Chinese liaison body chooses Tan Tieniu, computer scientist with eye on AI, as deputy chief
- Tan Tieniu, party chief at Nanjing University, is among 18 deputy chairs elected by All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese
- New role for Tan comes as intensifying US tech war sees China step up its scientific advancement and technological self-reliance drive
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Vanessa Caiin Shanghai
Computer science expert and career scientist Tan Tieniu has been named as deputy head of an organisation tasked with influencing overseas Chinese.
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The Communist Party chief of Nanjing University was among 18 deputy chairs chosen as the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese (Acfroc) met on Saturday to elect a new leadership.
The federation’s mission is to act as a bridge between the government, foreign-returned Chinese nationals and their families, as well as those who are currently abroad, as part of Beijing’s aims to connect with ethnic Chinese communities in advancing its overseas agenda.
Saturday’s meeting was part of the 11th national congress of returned overseas Chinese and their relatives.
The opening ceremony on Thursday of the four-day congress was attended by China’s top leadership, including President Xi Jinping, Vice-President Han Zheng, and all members of the Politburo Standing Committee – the ruling party’s centre of power.
Tan, 59, had taken up his Nanjing University role last September, after nearly six years as deputy chief of Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong – an appointment seen as part of the central government’s efforts to reach out to key academics and professionals.
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