Minister Sent to Post in Province, Media Say

China has transferred Land and Resources Minister Zhou Yongkang to the post of Communist Party chief of Sichuan province, state media reported today. Zhou was replaced by Tian Fengshan, governor of Heilongjiang province, the People’s Daily said. On Wednesday, the official New China News Agency said in a terse dispatch that Zhou had been “relieved of his duties.” The transfer, approved by the standing committee of China’s parliament, was the first major personnel shift announced during the run-up to the annual session of the legislature, which convenes Sunday.