The Inner Mongolia autonomous region appointed Buxiaolin as its acting chairwoman on Wednesday. Both her father and grandfather had previously served as chairman.

Buxiaolin, who is from the Mongolian ethnic group, was appointed as acting chairwoman by the Standing Committee of the Inner Mongolia regional People's Congress after it accepted the resignation of the former chairman, Bater.

The 58-year-old Buxiaolin becomes the second female official in China to be put in charge of the government's work in an autonomous region, after Liu Hui, chairwoman of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region.

After studying economic law at Peking University, Buxiaolin returned to Inner Mongolia where she has worked in the regional government's Legislative Affairs Office for many years.

At age 46, she became head of Alxa League, which is one of 12 prefecture-level divisions, and three extant leagues that comprise Inner Mongolia. In 2008, she was appointed deputy chair of the region.

Buxiaolin is the granddaughter of Ulanhu, a former vice-president of China, and the daughter of Buhe, a former vice-chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee.

Ulanhu served as the first chairman of Inner Mongolia between 1947 and 1966. Buhe, his eldest son, was elected chairman of Inner Mongolia and served between 1983 and 1993.

In 2014, President Xi Jinping said at a conference on ethnic issues that outstanding ethnic officials who are willing to take responsibility need to be shown trust and put in key positions of authority.

Wang Jun, director of the Standing Committee of the regional People's Congress, said Buxiaolin has a firm political stance and rich leadership experience. She is also well respected by other officials, he said.