Liang Wengen, one of China's richest men and chairman of Sany Group, one of China's largest construction equipment manufacturers, will reportedly soon be appointed to a prominent position in the Chinese government, Time Weekly reported Wednesday.

Officials from central China's Hunan province, where Sany Group is headquartered, said a personnel review of Liang required for the job had already been completed.

Sany did not confirm whether there would be personnel changes of the company's senior executives after Liang takes up the government post.

If his nomination is approved, Liang will become the first private entrepreneur in China to take a prominent job with the government.

The 55-year-old topped this year's Hurun list of China's wealthiest people with US$11 billion in assets from his heavy machinery company.

China's business press carried the story above on Thursday.