China's top legislature on Thursday approved the appointment of Yin Weimin as Minister of Personnel to replace Zhang Bolin who is to retire.

After the approval by lawmakers at the 29th session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), President Hu Jintao signed a decree of approval and made it public the same day.

Yin, 54, a native of northern China's Hebei Province, has been the vice minister of personnel since 2000. He studied in a surveying and mapping college of the People's Liberation Army in 1970 and 1971 and joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 1973.

Since 1978, Yin has been working in the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee and some other government departments, mainly in personnel management. He later earned an on-job postgraduate economics degree.

(Xinhua News Agency August 31, 2007)