New internet chief named in reshuffle

China's top internet regulator has been replaced amid a round of personnel reshuffles, according to an official statement released on Wednesday.

Lu Wei, the former head of the Office of the Central Leading Group for Cyberspace Affairs, has been replaced by Xu Lin, one of his deputies, according to the statement, released by the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

There was no mention of where the 56-year-old Lu would go. Ministerial-level officials usually retire at the age of 65.

Xu, a 53-year-old Shanghai native, held various posts in the eastern metropolis before being appointed deputy head of the cyberspace management office last year.

He has served as chief of Shanghai's Civil Affairs Bureau, Agricultural Commission and its booming Pudong New Area.

From 2013 to 2015, Xu was the city's publicity director, giving him experience in media management.

The internet in China has seen rapid growth. By the end of last year, the country had 688 million netizens and 4.23 million websites, up by 6 percent and 26 percent respectively year-on-year, according to the China Internet Network Information Center.

The statement also announced that Lu Xinshe, governor of East China's Jiangxi province, would replace Qiang Wei as Jiangxi's top official.

Qiang, 63, will no longer be a member of the CPC Jiangxi Provincial Committee or its Standing Committee, the statement said, without disclosing Qiang's next arrangement.

Wang Guosheng, governor of Central China's Hubei province, replaced Luo Huining as the top official of Northwest China's Qinghai province.

The statement also said that Luo would be given another assignment.

(China Daily 06/30/2016 page1)