Liu Yuan, son of the late Chinese President Liu Shaoqi, has been named political commissar of the General Logistics Department of the People's Liberation Army.

Liu Yuan [File photo]

The move was confirmed by the PLA Daily which featured Liu, 60, attending a meeting under his new title on Tuesday.

Liu took over the position from Sun Dafa, 66, to direct the army's logistics supplies including production, transport, housing, pay and medical services.

Previously, Liu was a political commissar of the PLA's Academy of Military Sciences, the military think-tank.

Liu, who was born in 1951, was raised in Beijing and studied history at Beijing Normal University. After graduation, he began a political career and was vice governor of Henan Province at the age of 37, the youngest at that time.

Liu joined the army in 1992 and enjoyed a reputation as being "firm in belief, down to earth and open-minded."