The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)
yesterday announced the latest reshuffle of provincial leadership
as the Party gears up for its all-important national congress in
October.
Xi Jinping was appointed secretary of the CPC
Shanghai municipal committee on Saturday. He was Party secretary of
east China's Zhejiang Province prior to the appointment.
Xi, 53, replaced Han Zheng, the Shanghai mayor who was also
acting Party secretary after the fall of former Party chief Chen
Liangyu.
Chen was sacked last September for his alleged involvement in a
multi-billion-yuan social security fund scandal.
He Guoqiang, a member of the Political Bureau and head of the
Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, said on
Saturday that Xi "is experienced in both Party management and
economic reform".
Xi graduated from Tsinghua University and holds a doctorate
degree in law. He was appointed secretary of the CPC Zhejiang
provincial committee in November 2002 and is a member of the 16th
CPC Central Committee.
In other decisions by the CPC Central Committee yesterday:
Zhao Hongzhu replaced Xi as Party chief of Zhejiang. He was
earlier the deputy head of the Organization Department of the CPC
Central Committee.
Zhao, 60, has served as vice-minister of supervision.
Zhang Gaoli was appointed secretary of the CPC
Tianjin municipal committee, replacing 68-year-old Zhang Lichang. He was earlier Party secretary
of east China's Shandong Province.
Zhang Gaoli, 61, a native of Jinjiang, east China's Fujian
Province, graduated from the Economics Department of Xiamen
University.
He spent most of his time in Guangdong Province, serving as
director of the provincial economic commission, deputy governor,
Party secretary of Shenzhen, and deputy Party secretary of
Guangdong Province before he was appointed Shandong Party chief in
2002.
Zhao Leji replaced Li Jianguo as the secretary of the CPC Shaanxi
Provincial Committee. He was earlier Party secretary of northwest
China's Qinghai Province.
Zhao, 50, is a native of Xining, Qinghai Province, and graduated
from Peking University in 1980.
(China Daily March 26, 2007)