Ma Wen, deputy secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the Communist Party of China (CPC), was appointed by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) as the country's new supervision minister on Thursday.

President Hu Jintao approved the appointment in a presidential decree.

Ma, 59, a native of Wuqiao county of north China's Hebei Province, joined the CPC in 1972.

After graduation from Nankai University in 1982, Ma worked as deputy secretary of the branch school of Nankai University CPC Committee and deputy secretary of CPC Nankai University Committee.

She began to serve as member of the Standing Committee of CCDI in 1997 and was appointed deputy secretary of the CCDI in 2004.

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) approved the nomination at the conclusion of its week-long bimonthly session on Thursday.

Ma's predecessor, Li Zhilun, died of illness at the age of 65 in April.

(Xinhua News Agency August 31, 2007)