Zhang Dejiang has been appointed Guangdong's new party secretary, Xinhua confirmed yesterday. Mr Zhang, who replaces Li Changchun as party boss of the booming southern province, was formerly the party secretary of Zhejiang. The Hong Kong-based Wen Wei Po reported yesterday that Mr Zhang had arrived in Guangzhou on Friday to take up his new position. The transfer of Mr Zhang to Guangdong was widely reported in the Chinese press last week. The 55-year-old, who was elevated to the Politburo at the just-concluded 16th Communist Party Congress, had been tipped as a rising political star. Mr Zhang's vacancy in Zhejiang was filled by Acting Governor Xi Jinping, Xinhua said. Xinhua yesterday also confirmed the transfer of several other provincial secretaries. Wang Qishan was named party chief of Hainan, while the man he replaced, Bai Keming, has been appointed Hebei party secretary. Mr Wang was previously the director of the State Council's Office for Economic Restructuring and is known as a protege of Premier Zhu Rongji. Mr Bai, a former director of the People's Daily, was transferred from Beijing to Hainan only about a year ago. The Xinhua report did not specify the new job for outgoing Hebei party secretary Wang Xudong. However, it is understood that Mr Wang has been named party secretary of the Ministry of Information Industry and will officially replace Wu Jichuan as minister in March, when Mr Wu is expected to retire. Mr Bai, Mr Wang and Mr Xi are considered by Western analysts as 'princelings' - sons and relatives of party elders. Mr Wang is the son-in-law of late vice-premier Yao Yilin and Mr Xi is the son of party elder Xi Zhongxun. Mr Bai is the son of Bai Jian, a former vice-minister of the machinery industry. Another promotion announced by Xinhua was that of Zhang Gaoli, who succeeds Wu Guanzheng as Shandong party secretary. Mr Wu and Mr Li are two up-and-coming new stars - both winning seats in the powerful Standing Committee of the Politburo, the power centre of the Communist Party. Mr Wu was also put in charge of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection - the party's top anti-corruption body. Mr Li is expected to be in charge of propaganda matters in his new capacity as a Politburo Standing Committee member. The 58-year-old Liaoning province native was widely credited for imposing tight control over the media in Guangdong province when he was party boss. Meanwhile, He Guoqiang, the new head of the Communist Party's Organisation Department, yesterday chaired a meeting in Beijing to announce instructions issued at the party congress on personnel matters, the semi-official China News Service reported. Mr He, formerly party secretary of Chongqing municipality, was promoted to the Politburo at the congress.
