Yang Chuantang, 52, former secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Regional Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), has been appointed vice-minister of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission (at the ministerial level), the CPC Central Committee announced Wednesday.

The 55-year Zhang Qingli assumed Yang's position. Zhang was made the acting secretary of Tibet's CPC committee in November 2005.

According to official records, Yang, native of Yucheng, Shandong Province, joined the CPC in 1976.

From 1972 to 1987, Yang worked in Shandong Province, serving successively as soldier, worker, workshop CPC secretary, deputy CPC secretary of a company, and deputy secretary of Shandong Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Youth League (CCYL).

From 1987 to 1992, Yang served as secretary of CCYL Shandong Provincial Committee, and president of the Institute of Young Cadres for Administrative Work. And from 1992 to 1993, he worked as deputy secretary of CPC Dezhou Prefectural Committee of Shandong Province, commissioner of Dezhou Prefectural Administrative Office, and Standing Committee member of CPC Shandong Provincial Committee. Ever since 1993, he went to work in Tibet, first as executive vice chairman and deputy Party secretary from 1993 to 1995. In 1995 and 1998, respectively, he was elected deputy secretary of CPC Tibet Autonomous Regional Committee, executive vice chairman of Tibet Autonomous Regional People's Government.

In Sept. 2001, he was elected deputy secretary and Standing Committee member of the 6th CPC Tibet Autonomous Regional Committee.

(Xinhua News Agency June 29, 2006)