China's State Council has appointed Lu Guozeng and Li Jinzhang as vice foreign ministers, according to an announcement Thursday.

The State Council has also appointed Dou Yupei as vice-minister of Civil Affairs and Wei Chao'an vice-minister of Agriculture.

It has removed Lu Xinhua from the post of vice foreign minister.

Lu Guozeng, former assistant minister, was named as vice minister in charge of affairs of West Asia and Africa.

Li Jinzhang, former assistant minister, was named as vice minister in charge of protocol, personnel and Communist Party of China affairs.

Lu, born in Hebei Province in August 1951, is a university graduate and is married, with a daughter.

His CV is as follows:

1976-1977 Staff Member, Department of African Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

1977-1981 Staff Member, Chinese Embassy to the Republic of Guinea

1981-1988 Staff Member, Third Secretary, Deputy Director, and then Director, Department of African Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

1988-1992 Counselor, Chinese Embassy to the Republic of Mauritius

1992-1994 Counselor and Deputy Director-General, Department of African Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

1994-1997 Director-General, Department of African Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

1997-2000 Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to Tunisia and to Palestine

2000-2001 Director-General, Department of West Asian and North African Affairs

2001-2003 Assistant Governor, Shaanxi Province

2003-2006Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs

2006-Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs

Li, born in Hebei Province in November 1954, is also a university graduate and married, with a daughter.

His CV is as follows:

1976-1980 Staff Member, Chinese Embassy to the Republic of Cuba

1980-1988 Third Secretary and then Deputy Director, Department of North American and Oceanic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

1988-1990 First Secretary, Chinese Embassy to the Republic of Nicaragua

1990-1993 Counselor, Chinese Embassy to the Republic of Cuba

1993-1995 Studied at Foreign Affairs College (now China Foreign Affairs University)

1995-1998 Deputy Director-General, Department of Latin American Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

1998-2001 Director-General, Department of Latin American Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

2001-2003 Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to the United States of Mexico

2003-2006Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs

2006-Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs

(Xinhua News Agency, Shanghai Daily January 20, 2006)