Chen Deming is named commerce minister

Chen Deming was appointed commerce minister, replacing Bo Xilai, the Wall Street Journal reported. The appointment was made by the Chinese legislature on December 29. Chen is a vice chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, the state’s top economic planning agency, where he has been responsible for fixed-asset investment and economic planning. Bo was promoted to the Communist Party’s Politburo, one of the most powerful decision-making bodies, during the five-yearly party congress in October and is now party secretary of Chongqing municipality.