(File photo)

The mayor of Jining in East China's Shandong Province has resigned and gone into business, authorities in the province said.

Mei Yonghong's resignation was approved by the Jining People's Congress on Sunday, making him the second bureau-level official to quit office in Shandong since June.

Shenzhen Huada Gene Technology responded to Southern Metropolis Daily on Tuesday that they had invited Mei Yonghong to hold an important post. The relevant issues are still to be confirmed, but Mei will not be the CEO.

It's worth noting that Huada Gene Technology claimed in the announcement on Aug. 15 that it intended to launch its IPO in the domestic stock market. Some people guessed that Mei's ability in the field of science and technology and government affairs might help Huada Gene's listing.

From 2010 to 2015, Mei was the deputy party secretary and mayor of Jining. His last public official activity was on Sept. 1, when he attended the opening ceremony for the Jining cultural center at Taibai Lake. Since then, he has not been seen in public.

Mei said in an interview in March that civil servants in China get a very low wage. His monthly income was about 7,000 yuan ($1,100), and county-level officers could earn as little as 3,000 yuan, far less than migrant workers in factories.

Mei's resignation causes great social concern. One important reason is that Jining city had close business contacts with Huada Gene before. "More specific regulations are needed to balance officials' conflict of interest," Mao Peng, lawyer from Guangdong Shengdian Law Firm said.

On the other hand, some people think civil servants have the right to choose profession independently. "Civil servants should rely on their own professional skills instead of personal relationships when they decide to walk out of the system," said Liu Xutao, professor from Institute of Public Administration, China National School of Administration.

This article was edited and translated from 《华大基因确认邀请济宁原市长任要职 具体岗位未定》, source: Beijing Times.