Guan Zhiou has been appointed China's minister of natural resources, replacing Wang Guanghua, according to a decision made by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature.

The decision was announced on Wednesday when the NPC Standing Committee closed its latest session in Beijing.

Public information shows that Guan, 55, a native of Shenyang, Liaoning province, joined the Communist Party of China in 1993 and started his career in 1995. Before working for the Ministry of Natural Resources in 2020, he served in several positions in his hometown and Shandong province.