China appoints Zhang Zhu agriculture minister in second shake-up in two years

BEIJING, April 30 (Reuters) – China named Zhang Zhu “agriculture minister” on Thursday, days after naming him “to head the Communist Party’s operations at the ministry, in the second top-level reshuffle in two years.”

Zhang, 58, a former regional and agricultural official who most recently served as party chief in Urumqi, the capital of China’s northwest Xinjiang region, replaces Han Jun, 62, who had been agriculture minister and party chief since 2024.

Han replaced Tang Renjian, who was investigated by the party’s powerful anti-corruption watchdog in May 2024 after four years in the post, and was later sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for accepting $38 million in bribes.

The Agriculture Ministry did not say why Han was replaced in his posts, and his resume was removed from the Chinese version of the ministry’s website.

(Reporting by Joe Cash; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)