The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Sunday announced the latest reshuffle of provincial leadership as the Party gears up for its all-important national congress in October.

Xi Jinping was appointed secretary of the Shanghai municipal Party committee on Saturday. He was Party secretary of east China's Zhejiang Province prior to the appointment.

Xi, 53, replaced Han Zheng, the Shanghai mayor who was also acting Party secretary after the fall of former Party chief Chen Liangyu.

Chen was fired last September for his alleged involvement in a multi-billion-yuan social security fund scandal.

He Guoqiang, a member of the Political Bureau and head of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, said on Saturday that Xi "is experienced in both Party management and economic reform."

Xi graduated from Tsinghua University and holds a doctorate degree in law. He was appointed secretary of the Zhejiang provincial Party committee in November 2002 and is a member of the 16th CPC Central Committee.

In other decisions by the CPC Central Committee:

Zhao Hongzhu replaced Xi as Party chief of Zhejiang. He was earlier the deputy head of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee.

Zhao, 60, has served as vice minister of supervision.

Zhang Gaoli was appointed secretary of the Tianjin municipal Party committee, replacing 68-year-old Zhang Lichang. He was earlier Party secretary of east China's Shandong Province.

Zhang Gaoli, 61, a native of Jinjiang, east China's Fujian Province, graduated from the Economics Department of Xiamen University.

He spent most of his time in Guangdong Province, serving as director of the provincial economic commission, deputy governor, Party secretary of Shenzhen, and deputy Party secretary of Guangdong before he was appointed Shandong's Party chief in 2002.

Li Jianguo has been appointed secretary of the Shandong provincial Party committee, replacing Zhang Gaoli. He was earlier Party secretary of Shaanxi Province.

Zhao Leji replaced Li Jianguo as Shaanxi's Party chief. He was earlier secretary of the Qinghai provincial Party committee.

Zhao, 50, is a native of Xining, Qinghai Province, and graduated from Peking University in 1980.
  
Qiang Wei has been appointed Qinghai's Party chief replacing Zhao.

(China Daily, Xinhua News Agency March 27, 2007)