China: Xi confidant appointed minister of public security

China has named Wang Xiaohong as minister of public security, overseeing the country's police force, according to a media report.

China has named Wang Xiaohong as minister of public security, overseeing the country's police force, according to a media report. It is to be noted that Wang and President Xi have long-standing ties.

China concluded the 35th session of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) on Friday in Beijing, Xinhua News Agency reported. At the closing meeting, lawmakers voted to adopt a revised Law on Physical Culture and Sports, a black soil conservation law, a decision to amend the Anti-monopoly Law, and a decision to amend the procedural rules of the NPC Standing Committee.

A personnel decision was also passed at the meeting. Pan Yue was appointed as head of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, replacing Chen Xiaojiang. Wang Xiaohong was appointed as minister of public security, replacing Zhao Kezhi. Zhou Zuyi was appointed as minister of human resources and social security, replacing Zhang Jinan, Xinhua said.

According to the decision, Wang Guanghua was appointed as minister of natural resources, replacing Lu Hao. Ni Hong was appointed as minister of housing and urban-rural development. Pei Jinjia was appointed as minister of veterans affairs, replacing Sun Shaocheng, as per local media report. President Xi Jinping signed five presidential orders to promulgate the laws and the decisions.

Wang is a native of the southeastern province of Fujian, where Xi spent 17 years cutting his teeth from 1985 to 2002, The News International reported. Wang was deputy director of the Public Security Bureau of Fuzhou, the provincial capital of Fujian, from 1993 to 1998 and the city's top police official from 1998 to 2002. Xi was Fuzhou party boss from 1990 to 1996 and provincial deputy party secretary until 2002.

"They are very close," The News International had reported earlier citing sources. (ANI)

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