Ex-spokesman is new discipline chief in Zhejiang

Liu Jianchao, a former Foreign Ministry spokesman and senior official in charge of hunting China's corrupt fugitives, has been appointed discipline chief of Zhejiang province.

He became head of the province's commission for discipline inspection and a member of the province's core leadership - the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China Zhejiang Committee - in late April, according to an official report posted on Thursday on Zhejiang Online.

Ren Zemin will leave his post as commission chief, the report said, without disclosing details. Ren, 63, has surpassed the routine retirement age of vice-ministerial officials in China.