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)