By Timothy S. Donahue
Top Takeaways:
- New chairman: China Tobacco International (HK) appointed Li Bin as chairman and non-executive director, effective Sept. 30.
- Industry veteran: Li brings 34 years of tobacco industry experience, with leadership positions at China Tobacco’s Henan and Hubei operations.
- International leadership: Li also heads China Tobacco International Group and serves as general manager of China Tobacco International.
China Tobacco International (HK) has a new chairman, but he’s hardly new to the tobacco industry.
The Hong Kong-listed tobacco-trading company appointed industry veteran Li Bin as chairman of its board and as a non-executive director, effective Sept. 30, according to a filing with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Li, 56, has spent 34 years in China’s tobacco industry, serving in senior management roles at several provincial tobacco companies. His experience spans manufacturing management, product development, market operations, and international expansion.
The appointment also places the chairmanship of China Tobacco International (HK) in the hands of an executive who already holds senior leadership responsibilities within the broader China Tobacco International business.
Since July, Li has served as chairman of China Tobacco International Group Limited and as general manager and director of China Tobacco International Inc.
Li began his career in July 1992 at the Guangdong Provincial Tobacco Monopoly Administration. He later held several management positions at China Tobacco Guangdong Industrial Co., including serving as director of its production management department and director of the Guangzhou Cigarette Factory.
From August 2017 to July 2020, he served as deputy general manager at China Tobacco Guangxi Industrial Co. In July 2020, he became general manager at China Tobacco Henan Industrial Co., a position he held until August 2024, when he moved to lead China Tobacco Hubei Industrial Co.
He remained the general manager of the Hubei business until July 2026.
Li holds an engineering degree and a master’s in business administration from South China University of Technology.
Under the board changes, Li also becomes chairman of the company’s nomination and strategic development committees and a member of its compensation committee.
His appointment follows the July 2 retirement of former chairman Shao Yan. Executive director and general manager Dai Jiahui had been performing the chairman’s duties in the interim and relinquished those duties after Li’s appointment.
Dai remains the company’s general manager and executive director.
China Tobacco International (HK), listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under stock code 6055, operates tobacco leaf import and export businesses, cigarette exports, tobacco operations in Brazil, and exports of newer tobacco products.
The company serves as an international trading platform within China’s state tobacco industry, connecting Chinese tobacco operations with overseas markets.
