Following Hu Shuli's widely-reported resignation from China's most-respected business magazine on Monday evening, there's been much speculation in the Chinese press about who will replace the influential journalist as the editor in chief of Caijing.

Yesterday, He Li, the former editor in chief of China Business Weekly and one of the founding editors of The Economic Observer, confirmed that he had quit his current job but refused to provide further details to reporters from Sina Finance.

However, despite his reticence, Sina is reporting that he will indeed take up the position of editor in chief at Caijing.

The 47 year-old He once worked alongside Hu Shuli at China Business Times, the first privately-invested newspaper to be published in the People's Republic of China. He worked there from 1989 to 2000, while Hu headed up the paper's international department from 1992 to 1998.

He left the paper to help establish The Economic Observer in 2001, we he served as editor in chief and then president from 2001 to 2005.

Besides He, Zhao Li, another founding member of The Economic Observer, is also reported to have been appointed to Caijing's new editorial board.

Zhao is tipped to take the third most senior editorial position at the magazine and become Caijing's new deputy managing editor under current managing editor Wang Boming and serving deputy managing editor Yang Lang. 

Zhao will leave his current position as editor in chief at Investors Business Daily. His colleague,  executive editor in chief He Gang, will also leave the paper to take up the position of executive editor in chief at Caijing. 

Meanwhile, Sun Yat-Sen University confirmed to the Information Times that it has signed a preliminary contract with Hu Shuli for her to head up the university's School of Communication and Design. They referred reporters to Hu for more details, but confirmed that she will take on teaching duties and work as a doctoral supervisor as part of her new position.

However, some unnamed sources at Caijing claim that Hu has already rented new offices and plans to launch a new business magazine under the name Caixin with a new media partner.

Links and Sources
Sina Finance: Special Report (Chinese)
Sina: Image of He Li
National Business Daily: Report (Chinese)