China's central government, the State Council, has appointed three new officials to the State Press and Publication Administration (SPPA). Li Dongdong, Yan Xiaohong and Sun Shoushan replace Yu Yongzhan and Shi Feng as deputy directors of the SPPA.

Li Dongdong has been serving as the head of the publicity department of the regional committee of the Communist Party of China of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Yan Xiaohong was deputy head of the National Copyright Administration. Sun Shoushan was working as the director of the general office of the SPPA.

And Han Changfu is no longer deputy director of the Research Office of the State Council. He has been appointed vice governor of northeast China's Jilin Province.

Under direct leadership of the State Council, the SPPA is responsible for establishing laws and regulations on the press and publications, approving publishing houses and audio and video productions, prohibiting illegal publications and unauthorized imports of foreign publications and dealing with copyright infringement cases.

(Xinhua News Agency December 28, 2006)