BEIJING, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- Bo Xilai has been appointed secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), a statement from the CPC Central Committee said Saturday.

    Bo, born in July 1949, replaces Wang Yang who has been appointed secretary of the Communist Party Committee of Guangdong Province in south China. Bo retains his post as minister of commerce.

    Wang was born in March 1955.

    Zhang Dejiang, born in November 1946, was no longer the Guangdong Party head, according to the statement.