Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang replaces Bo Xilai as Chongqing Party Chief

Premier Wen presses Chongqing authorities to reflect on Wang Lijun incident

Chongqing vice mayor dismissed

Zhang Dejiang has been appointed Party Chief of Chongqing, replacing Bo Xilai, according to a decision of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee announced Thursday.

Bo will no longer serve as secretary, standing committee member or member of the CPC Chongqing municipal committee, according to the decision.

Bo, born in July 1949, became mayor of Dalian, Liaoning province, in 1993. He served as governor of Liaoning and minister of commerce before being appointed Party Chief of Chongqing in 2007.

Zhang is a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, vice-premier of the State Council and member of its Leading Party Members' Group.

The following is a biographical sketch of Zhang Dejiang:

2008- Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, vice-premier of the State Council and member of its Leading Party Members' Group.

2007-2008 Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee

2002-2007 Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee

1998-2002 Secretary of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee

1995-1998 Secretary of the CPC Jilin Provincial Committee and chairman of the Standing Committee of the Jilin Provincial People's Congress

1990-1995 Deputy secretary of the CPC Jilin Provincial Committee and concurrently secretary of the CPC Committee of Yanbian Prefecture

1986-1990 Vice-minister of civil affairs and deputy secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group of the ministry

1985-1986 Deputy secretary of the CPC Committee of Yanbian Prefecture, Jilin Province

1983-1985 Deputy secretary of the CPC Municipal Committee of Yanji, Jilin Province, member of the standing committee of the CPC Committee of Yanbian Prefecture, and concurrently deputy secretary of the CPC Committee of Yanji

1980-1983 Member of the standing committee of the Party Committee and vice-president of Yanbian University

1978-1980 Student of the Department of Economics of Kim Il Sung University of the DPRK, and secretary of the CPC branch committee of Chinese students studying at the university

1975-1978 Deputy secretary of the general Party branch of the Department of the Korean Language, Yanbian University, member of the standing committee of the university's Party Committee and vice-chairman of its Revolutionary Committee

1972-1975 Student of Yanbian University majoring in the Korean language

1970-1972 Member of the Publicity Group of Wangqing County Revolutionary Committee, Jilin Province, and secretary of its Communist Youth League branch

1968-1970 Worked as an educated youth sent to the countryside at Taiping Brigade, Luozigou Commune, Wangqing County, Jilin Province