Bo Xilai left the meeting room during the Fifth Session of the 11th National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 9. Photo: the Beijing News

Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang has replaced Bo Xilai as the Party chief of Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, according to a decision of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Xinhua reported Thursday.

Zhang is also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

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

The decision was announced by Li Yuanchao, head of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, at a meeting of officials in Chongqing on Thursday, according to a report on xinhuanet.com.

Li said the CPC Central Committee made the decision after discreet consideration and based on current circumstances and the overall situation.

Zhang delivered a speech at the meeting of Chongqing officials, according to xinhuanet.com.

Zhang, born in November 1946, is a native of Tai'an, Liaoning province. He became a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in 2002 and began serving as vice premier of the State Council, China's Cabinet, from 2008.

Zhang had previously served as Party chief in Jilin, Zhejiang and Guangdong provinces, respectively, between 1995 and 2007.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Wednesday the Chongqing authorities must reflect on and draw lessons from the Wang Lijun incident at a press conference after the conclusion of the annual session of the National People's Congress.

While commenting on the Wang Lijun incident, Wen urged Chongqing authorities to seriously reflect on and draw lessons from the case. Wang, vice mayor and former police chief of Chongqing, made headlines last month after he entered the US consulate in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.

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Biographical sketch of Bo Xilai:

Bo Xilai, male, ethnic Han, native of Dingxiang, Shanxi Province, born in July 1949. Joined the CPC in October 1980 and began working in January 1968. Graduated from the Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, majoring in international journalism. Master of Arts.

Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Minister of Commerce and Secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group in the Ministry of Commerce.

1968-1972 Did manual labor in a "study class" during the "cultural revolution"

1972-1978 Worker of the Hardware and Machine Repair Plant under Beijing Second Light Industry Bureau

1978-1979 Undergraduate student majoring in world history at the Department of History of Peking University

1979-1982 Postgraduate student majoring in international journalism at the Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

1982-1984 Staff member of the Research Office of the Secretariat and of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee

1984-1988 Served successively as deputy secretary and secretary of the CPC Committee of Jinxian County, Liaoning Province, and secretary of the CPC Committee of Jinzhou District of Dalian City (1985-1988: concurrently as deputy secretary and secretary, of Party Committee of Dalian Economic and Technological Development Area)

1988-1989 Member of the Standing Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Dalian Municipal Committee, Liaoning Province

1989-1992 Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Dalian Municipal Committee of Liaoning Province and vice mayor of Dalian City

1992-1993 Deputy secretary of the CPC Dalian Municipal Committee of Liaoning Province and acting mayor of Dalian City

1993-1999 Deputy secretary of the CPC Dalian Municipal Committee of Liaoning Province and mayor of Dalian City

1999-2000 Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Liaoning Provincial Committee, secretary of the CPC Dalian Municipal Committee and mayor of Dalian City

2000-2001 Deputy secretary of the CPC Liaoning Provincial Committee and acting governor of Liaoning Province

2001-2004 Deputy secretary of the CPC Liaoning Provincial Committee and governor of Liaoning Province

2004-2007 Minister of Commerce, deputy secretary and then secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group of the Ministry of Commerce

2007- Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and Minister of Commerce and secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group of the Ministry of Commerce

Member of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth CPC Central Committees. Member of the Political Bureau of the Seventeenth CPC Central Committee.

Source: gov.cn

Biographical sketch of Zhang Dejiang:

Zhang Dejiang, male, ethnic Han, native of Tai'an, Liaoning Province, born in November 1946. Joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in January 1971 and began working in November 1968. Graduated from the Department of Economics, Kim Il Sung University, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). With a university education.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1998-2002 Secretary of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee

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

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

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.

Alternate member of the 14th CPC Central Committee, member of the 15th, 16th and 17th CPC central committees, and Political Bureau member of the 16th and 17th CPC central committees.