Two close allies of Communist Party General Secretary Hu Jintao have been made party bosses of Henan and Jiangsu provinces in the latest reshuffle before the National People's Congress in March.
Xinhua yesterday said Henan governor Li Keqiang, 47, had been appointed the province's party secretary, replacing Chen Kuiyuan. Nanjing city party chief Li Yuanchao, 52, has replaced Hui Liangyu as Jiangsu party boss.
Both were groomed in the Communist Youth League - a power base of Mr Hu.
Sources said Mr Hui, 58, a new member of the elite 24-member Politburo, would become a vice-premier overseeing agriculture.
Mr Chen, 62, will be appointed president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), a central government think-tank.
Li Keqiang's appointment as Henan party boss came as a surprise as he was previously viewed as a strong candidate to be promoted to the central government.
Analysts said his appointment as the No 1 leader in the nation's most populous province, as well as the appointment of Li Yuanchao as the party boss of China's economic powerhouse Jiangsu, are signs that Mr Hu is consolidating his influence in the regions.