BEIJING - The State Council, China's Cabinet, announced the appointment and removal of several senior government officials on Thursday.

Zhao Mingji was appointed assistant minister of finance and Huang Yan was appointed vice minister of housing and urban-rural development.

The State Council appointed Wu Ken as the permanent representative of China to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, replacing Chen Xu, and Shi Zhongjun as China's permanent representative to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and also China's permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency, replacing Cheng Jingye.

Wang Xuelong will no longer hold the post of deputy head of China Geological Survey.