TAIYUAN - Li Xiaopeng was elected governor of North China's coal-rich Shanxi province on Tuesday at the first session of the 12th provincial People's Congress, the local legislature.

Li, ethnic Han and a native of Chengdu, Sichuan province, was born in June 1959. He began to work in 1982 and joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 1985.

He was appointed acting governor of Shanxi on December 19 at the 33rd meeting of the standing committee of the 11th provincial People's Congress, replacing former governor Wang Jun.

Prior to that, Li was general manager of China Huaneng Group, the country's largest power generator, before his appointment as Shanxi vice-governor in June 2008.

Li was elected one of 171 alternate members of the 18th CPC Central Committee at the 18th CPC National Congress held in November 2012.