China's local leaders have become younger with the finish of nationwide elections and reshuffles of legislatures, governments and political advisory bodies at the provincial level.

The Organization Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee said on Thursday that 815 officials took posts in provincial-level legislatures, governments and political advisory bodies.

The breakdown included 231 in legislatures, 270 in governments and 314 in political advisory bodies.

Their average age was 1.7 years younger than that of their predecessors. More officials, aged 45 to 50, were elected into local government leadership, the organization department revealed.

Education wise, 261 of the officials held a bachelor's degree or higher, accounting for 96.7 percent of those elected.

The number of local leadership posts was cut by three in each of the 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions on the Chinese mainland. In addition, 174 more officials were removed from posts in the reshuffle than the previous time.

According to the department, the reshuffle introduced a more democratic procedure. More than 47,000 candidates were subject to public scrutiny. Incumbent officials opposed by one-third of voters were not nominated.

China underwent a leadership reshuffle late last year and early this year as many officials had completed their five year term.

In late November, the department specially issued a circular warning officials against corruption in the reshuffle.

The circular promised to seriously punish those found selling and buying government posts or offering bribes for higher positions in a bid to create "a clean and upright environment for elections".

The department announced in December that a senior official in the northern Hebei provincial government, whose name was not made public, was dismissed for buying votes through "giving out presents, paying home visits to people concerned and inviting them to dinners".

In the same month, the department and the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) jointly publicized a list warning government officials against "10 taboos" during the reshuffle.

Practices such as lobbying officials for promotion, bribing officials to "buy" government jobs and outgoing officials' involvement in promotions were strictly banned.

The public was encouraged to call the "12380" hotline to report any malpractice and corrupt candidates during the local leadership reshuffle; they had played a critical role in supervising the officials.

In the Hebei case, the department said it received tips from locals and then started a probe into the case.

To date, 1,968 officials have been penalized for offenses during the reshuffle.

China's local leadership

Before reshuffle				After reshuffle
Provinces/ autonomous regions/ municipalities	Secretaries of local party committees	Governors/ Mayors/ Chairmen	Chairmen of local people’s congress	Governors/ Mayors/ Chairmen	Chairmen of local people’s congress
Beijing	Liu Qi	Guo Jinlong (acting governor)	Du Deyin	Guo Jinlong	Du Deyin
Tianjin	Zhang Gaoli	Huang Xingguo (acting mayor)	Liu Shengyu	Huang Xingguo	Liu Shengyu
Jilin	Wang Min	Han Changfu	Wang Yunkun	Han Changfu	Wang Yunkun
Heilongjiang	Qian Yunlu	Li Zhanshu (acting governor)	Qian Yunlu	Li Zhanshu	Qian Yunlu
Hebei	Zhang Yunchuan	Guo Maogeng	Bai Keming	Guo Maogeng	Zhang Yunchuan
Shandong	Li Jianguo	Jiang Daming (acting governor)	Li Jianguo	Jiang Daming	Li Jianguo
Shaanxi	Zhao Leji	Yuan Chunqing	Cui Lintao	Yuan Chunqing	Zhao Leji
Xinjiang	Wang Lequan	Nur Bekri (acting chairman)	Abudurahim Hamid	Nur Bekri	Arkin Imirbaki
Jiangsu	Liao Baohua	Luo Zhijun (acting governor)	Wang Shouting (acting chairman)	Luo Zhijun	Liang Baohua
Anhui	Wang Jinshan	Wang Sanyun (acting governor)	Huang Yuezhong (acting chairman)	Wang Sanyun	Wang Jinshan
Hubei	Luo Qingquan	Li Hongzhong (acting governor)	Yang Yongliang	Li Hongzhong	Luo Qingquan
Guangdong	Wang Yang	Huang Huahua	Huang Liman	Huang Huahua	Ou Guangyuan
Sichuan	Liu Qibao	Jiang Jufeng	Xi Yifang (acting chairman)	Jiang Jufeng	Liu Qibao
Tibet	Zhang Qingli	Qiangba Puncog	Lie Que	Qiangba Puncog	Lie Que
Guizhou	Shi Zongyuan	Lin Shusen	Shi Zongyuan	Lin Shusen	Shi Zongyuan
Gansu	Lu Hao	Xu Shousheng	Lu Hao	Xu Shousheng	Lu Hao
Shanghai	Yu Zhengsheng	Han Zheng	Gong Xueping	Han Zheng	Liu Yungeng
Chongqing	Bo Xilai	Wang Hongju	Wang Yang	Wang Hongju	Chen Guangguo
Liaoning	Zhang Wenyue	Chen Zhenggao (acting governor)	Zhang Xilin (acting chairman)	Chen Zhenggao	Zhang Wenyue
Inner Mongolia	Chu Bo	Yang Jing	Chu Bo	Yang Jing	Chu Bo
Henan	Xu Guangchun	Li Chengyu	Xu Guangchun	Li Chengyu	Xu Guangchun
Shanxi	Zhang Baoshun	Meng Xuenong (acting governor)	Zhang Baoshun	Meng Xuenong	Zhang Baoshun
Ningxia	Chen Jianguo	Wang Zhengwei (acting chairman)	Chen Jianguo	Wang Zhengwei	Chen Jianguo
Qinghai	Qiang Wei	Song Xiuyan	Qiang Wei	Song Xiuyan	Qiang Wei
Zhejiang	Zhao Hongzhu	Lv Zushan	Yu Guoxing	Lv Zushan	Zhao Hongzhu
Jiangxi	Su Rong	Wu xinxiong	Meng Jianzhu	Wu xinxiong	Su Rong
Hunan	Zhang Chunxian	Zhou Qiang	Zhang Chunxian	Zhou Qiang	Zhang Chunxian
Guangxi	Guo Shengkun	Ma Sa (acting chairman)		Ma Sa	Guo Shengkun
Yunnan	Bai Enpei	Qin Guangrong	Bai Enpei	Qin Guangrong	Bai Enpei
Fujian	Lu Zhangong	Huang Xiaojing	Lu Zhangong	Huang Xiaojing	Lu Zhangong
Hainan	Wei Liucheng	Luo Baoming	Wei Liucheng	Luo Baoming	Wei Liucheng

(Xinhua News Agency February 15, 2008)