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Jun Mai

The former head of the agency responsible for classified information has been appointed President Xi Jinping's deputy chief of staff, the latest move in a three-year reshuffle of the top secretariat office.
Meng Xiangfeng, 51, took part in a video conference on Tuesday marking the opening of the autumn semester at Communist Party academies.
It was the first official confirmation of his new role since he left the National Administration for the Protection of State Secrets (NAPSS) five months ago.
He was attending as deputy chief of the General Office of the Central Committee, according to the website of the China Executive Leadership Academy, Jinggangshan.
Meng's appointment caps a drawn-out reshuffle of the top secretariat office that began when Xi became head of the party in 2012.
Three deputies and three department heads at the office have been sidelined to less important positions.
Ling Jihua, 59, who headed the General Office when Hu Jintao was president, was sacked as chief of the United Front Work Department in December on suspicion of corruption.
Huo Ke, 54, a former division head at the office, was last year made deputy chief of the National Tourism Administration. He had since been sacked and would be prosecuted for alleged corruption and leaking party and state secrets, the top anti-graft agency said last month.
NAPSS is responsible for archiving classified Communist Party and government documents.
Meng comes from a background that extends across diverse fields, including cultural heritage and discipline inspection. He spent a year in the party committee of Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, and one of Xi's power bases.
But Meng and Xi had not worked together, according to their public résumés.
Separately, Su Deliang, head of the political department of the Ministry of State Security, had been promoted as deputy chief spy.
The new position was revealed by Tibet Daily on Tuesday, when Su was named among the entourage of Yu Zhengsheng , the chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, as he arrived in Tibet for commemorations marking the 50th anniversary of the founding of the autonomous region.


China appoints new presidential aide and deputy spy chief

Meng Xiangfeng (left) has become Xi Jinping's deputy chief of staff and Su Deliang has been promoted to the country's deputy chief spy. Photos: SCMP Pictures

Meng Xiangfeng (left) and Su Deliang.Photos: SCMP Pictures

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Meng Xiangfeng was chief official for classified information before his move to General Office


Reshuffle of top secretariat office finally complete


China appoints new presidential aide and deputy spy chief

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Meng Xiangfeng was chief official for classified information before his move to General Office

Meng Xiangfeng was chief official for classified information before his move to General Office