A group of civil servants recruited from village heads have begun serving in township governmental branches of east China's Zhejiang Province.

According to the provincial personnel department, 1346 village heads under the age of 35 throughout the province applied for recruitment. After taking examinations, interviews and the listing of public notices, 211 young village heads were selected for positions in local government branches with the longest serving period of 12 years.

Among the 211 civil servants, 119 are members of China's Communist Party and 44 have studied at least three years at college.

Choosing civil servants to serve in township government branches will help to understand local affairs and carry out civil service, said the bureau.

China used to employ civil servants mainly from college graduates, with some from social organizations. Last year, over 120,000 Chinese applied for jobs in central and local government organizations.

(Xinhua News Agency August 2, 2003)