The country's top legislature on Friday approved the nomination of four new ministers, including Yang Jiechi, former ambassador to the United States, as foreign minister.

Li Zhaoxing, who had served as China's top diplomat since 2003 and turns 67 in October, stepped down.

Other appointees included Wan Gang, a non-Communist Party member, to minister of science and technology, Xu Shaoshi to minister of land and resources and Chen Lei to minister of water resources.

Vacating their posts are Xu Guanhua (Science and Technology), Wang Shucheng (Water Resources) and Sun Wensheng (Land and Resources), according to a bill passed by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC).

Minister-level officials usually retire at the age of 65. Li, a popular minister who had been dubbed the "poetic foreign minister" for his fondness of poetry, is well past customary retirement age. The other three ministers are all older than 65.

Li's successor, the 57-year-old Yang, is a specialist in Sino-US relations. He was born in 1950 in Shanghai and studied at Bath University and the London School of Economics in Britain in the 1970s.

He later served at the Chinese embassy to the United States for nearly 13 years over different periods between the 1980s and 2004.

In December 2000, Yang succeeded Li as ambassador to the United States, a post Li had held since 1998.

Back in Beijing, Yang served as vice-foreign minister in charge of diplomacy in the Latin American region and foreign affairs involving Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao.

Wan Gang, the new minister of science and technology, is currently the only minister in the State Council from China Zhi Gong Dang, a non-Communist party.

Source: China Daily