Yu Zhengsheng, the new Party secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, brings with him a wealth of experience.

Xi Jinping (left) shakes hands with Yu Zhengsheng, the new Party chief of Shanghai, at a meeting of top city officials on Saturday. Xi, Yu's predecessor, was elected a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee last week.

He succeeds Xi Jinping, who was elected as a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee last week.

Yu, 62, a member of the new Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, was most recently Party secretary of the Hubei Provincial Committee of the CPC.

The Shanghai appointment was announced on Saturday by the Central Committee of the CPC.

Yu, born in April 1945, is a native of Shaoxing in eastern Zhejiang Province and joined the Party in 1964.

He graduated from the prestigious Department of Missile Engineering at the Harbin Military Engineering Institute, majoring in automatic control of ballistic missiles in 1968.

Before serving as Party chief of Hubei, Yu was minister of construction from 1998 to 2001.

The CPC Central Committee said Luo Qingquan, governor of Hubei, is the province's new Party chief.

Addressing more than 300 Party and government officials who gathered on Saturday afternoon for the announcement of the new city leadership line-up, Xi said he fully supports the CPC Central Committee's decision.

He believes that Yu is fully capable of leading Shanghai's officials and the general public in maintaining the momentum of the city's economic and social development and pushing prosperity to a new and higher level.

"I started my work in Shanghai on March 23," Xi said. "By today, I have totally worked seven months and four days here.

"During this period, I shared Shanghai people's feelings and developed an inseparable bond with the city. From the bottom of my heart, I am grateful for the support of Shanghai's people."

Reviewing his tenure in the city, Xi said he focused his work on four key areas:

Organizing a Party meeting to elect the city's new Party leadership team;

Promoting economic and social development;

Solving problems related to people's daily life;

An overall strengthening of the Party.

During this period, several important international events, including the Special Olympics and the FIFA Women's Cup, were held successfully in Shanghai.

"With concerted efforts, Shanghai shook off the bad influence left by Chen Liangyu's case and moved ahead as a harmonious and stable society with a prosperous economy," Xi said.

Chen was dismissed as Shanghai Party secretary in September, 2006, in an anti-corruption campaign that found the city's 10-billion-yuan (US$1.27 billion) corporate annuities had been managed via irregular loans without proper collateral and placed in risky investments.

"Through seven months' work here, I deeply felt that Shanghai is a city with a glorious revolutionary history," Xi said.

"Shanghai has broad room for further development. After I get into my new post, I will continue to care and support Shanghai's work.

"I wish Shanghai a better future."

Following Xi's remarks, Yu said: "The CPC Central Committee has decided to assign me to Shanghai for such an important position and to shoulder such important responsibilities. This is a glorious task. I must cherish this opportunity.

"Shanghai is leading the country in scientific development and many other fronts.

"In some areas, we have already reached the world's most advanced levels.

"I believe we have the capability and strength to continue to be a pace-setter in the country's reform and opening-up drive."

Yu urged all Party and government officials in the city to give full play to democracy and frankly air their opinions.

He also vowed to further improve Party conduct and committed to clean government in the city.

(Shanghai Daily October 29, 2007)