The State Council, China's cabinet, has appointed new top statistician.

Qiu Xiaohua was appointed director of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), replacing Li Deshui.

Born in 1958, Qiu Xiaohua is a native of east China's Fujian Province. He graduated from the department of Economics of Xiamen University in Fujian in 1982.

Qiu was appointed NBS' deputy director in 1999. He served as chief economist and spokesman for NBS between 1993 and 1998.

Li Deshui was born in 1944 and a native of east China's Jiangxi Province. He graduated from Jiangxi Metallurgical Institute in 1968.

Li was appointed deputy director in 1992 and director in 1996 of the Comprehensive Department of former National Economy of State Planning Commission, which was renamed as the National Development and Reform Commission.

Li became vice mayor of Chongqing Municipality in November 1996 and deputy director of Research Office of the State Council between 1999 and 2002. He was appointed NBS director in April 2003.

(Xinhua News Agency March 24, 2006)