China's State Council, or cabinet, appointed Simon Peh Yun-lu as the Director of Immigration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Friday.

The State Council also ended the term of Lai Tung-kwok as the Director of Immigration. Lai was named to the position last June.

The decision was made based on the nomination and suggestion by Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, chief executive of the HKSAR government.

Peh had been the HKSAR Deputy Director of Immigration before the appointment.

(Xinhua News Agency March 28, 2008)