Section-Level Cadre in China | Generated by AI
Question: What does “科级干部” mean?
Answer:
“科级干部” refers to a section-level cadre (官员/干部) in China’s civil service hierarchy. It’s the entry-level tier of formal leadership in the Chinese bureaucratic system.
The Hierarchy (bottom to top)
| Level | Chinese | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 科级 | 科级干部 | Section level |
| 县处级 | 处级干部 | Division/County level |
| 厅局级 | 局级干部 | Bureau/Department level |
| 省部级 | 省级干部 | Provincial/Ministry level |
| 国家级 | 国级干部 | State/National level |
What it means practically
- Manages a 科 (section/unit) — smallest formal administrative unit in a government agency or SOE
- Typical roles: section chief (科长), deputy section chief (副科长)
- In a company/bank context, roughly equivalent to team lead or junior manager
- In academia/SOEs, department heads at small units often hold this rank
In your banking context, if you see this in HR or org chart discussions, it’s someone at the lowest rung of named leadership — above staff, below division director.