Lian was born in Pingyao County, Shanxi, on 5 March 1964.[2] In 1981, he enrolled at Tsinghua University, where he majored in optical instrument.[2] After university in 1986, he did his postgraduate work at Shanxi University.[2] Upon graduation, he stayed for teaching, and eventually became deputy director of the Institute of Optoelectronics in September 1991.[2]
Career
Shanxi
He joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in July 1984, and got involved in politics in February 1992, when he worked in the Office of the Shanxi Provincial People's Government.[2] He was manager of Shanxi Provincial Transportation Information and Communication Company in September 1993 and subsequently director of Shanxi Provincial Transportation Computer Communication Center in December 1996.[2] In October 2000, he became deputy director of Shanxi Provincial Science and Technology Department, rising to director in September 2006.[2] In February 2011, he was named acting mayor of the capital city Taiyuan, confirmed in the following month.[2] He also served as deputy party secretary and member of the CCP Taiyuan Municipal Committee, the city's top authority. In March 2013, he became secretary-general of Shanxi Provincial People's Government, and then head of the United Front Work Department of the CCP Shanxi Provincial Committee in November 2016.[3] After a brief term, he was appointed head of the Publicity Department of the CCP Shanxi Provincial Committee in March 2018. In June 2019, he was made secretary-general of the CCP Shanxi Provincial Committee and was admitted to member of the CCP Shanxi Provincial Committee, the province's top authority.[4]