The State Council announced a reshuffle of senior government officials on Dec 16.

Fu Xingguo was appointed vice minister of human resources and social security, and director of the State Administration of Civil Service; Yang Yudong was named vice minister of transport and director of the National Railway Administration; Zheng Guoguang, formerly of the China Meteorological Administration, was appointed director of the China Earthquake Administration, and Liu Yaming was appointed director of the China Meteorological Administration and removed from the Ministry of Water Resources. Dou Xiankang was appointed president of Wuhan University, a vice-ministerial level position.

Chen Jiusong was removed from the State Bureau for Letters and Calls; Sun Zhaohua was removed from the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, and Chen Jianmin and Xiu Jigang were removed from the China Earthquake Administration.