SOE top jobs go up for grabs globally
(China Daily)
Updated: 2005-05-09 08:40

Fifteen of China's central and biggest State-owned enterprises (SOEs) are opening up top management positions to global competitors.

Two are seeking a general manager, sources with the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) said yesterday.

Most are deputy general manager and chief accountant posts, but China Worldbest Group Co Ltd, one of China's largest pharmaceutical and textile companies, and the China Academy of Building Research will appoint their general manager from public competitors.

It will be the first time central SOEs have their first-in-command chosen in this way. Foreign applicants may also apply, a spokesman from the SASAC said.

In the past, such senior positions in central SOEs were appointed by the central government from Chinese candidates.

SASAC, which supervises the more than 170 central SOEs on behalf of the central government, organized two similar recruitment campaigns in 2003 and 2004, during which time 28 central SOEs, including China Unicom and China Aluminium Corporation, offered 30 senior positions such as deputy general manager and chief accountant to the public.

A few of the jobs were also open to foreigners, but none of them has won out in the competition so far.

SASAC Minister Li Rongrong said earlier this year that the open recruitment campaign for SOEs would go further this year in terms of scale of jobs offered and participants.

He and a number of SASAC officials have just formed special recruitment panels with the chiefs of the SOEs that are taking part in the third recruitment campaign to get fresh brainpower.

Another 10 central SOEs are offering similar positions only to applicants with Chinese nationality.

SASAC will release the details of the jobs offered and qualifications tomorrow.

The results should be decided by the end of September after relevant exams, a SASAC release said yesterday.

Preference will be given to applicants who are innovative, familiar with the global operation of modern companies and foreign languages and below the age of 50, though the exact requirements differ for each job.

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