Mayor Han Zheng won a second five-year term yesterday following an election at the close of the first session of the 13th Shanghai People's Congress.

Han, from Cixi county in Zhejiang province, became the city's youngest mayor since the founding of New China when he was first elected to the post in 2003, at age 49.

He was in power when the social security fund scandal in September 2006 toppled Chen Liangyu, the city's most powerful official, and other officials and businessmen.

Since then, the city has stepped up efforts to root out corruption. More than a dozen people involved in the scandal have been sacked and taken to court.

During the congress, Han vowed to build a cleaner government. He also devoted much of his government report to such thorny problems as the city's growing migrant population, welfare, traffic snarls and how best to use limited land resources for urban construction.

His first term was a time of steady economic growth and significant improvements to people's quality of living. The city's gross domestic product hit 1.2 trillion yuan ($166.9 billion) last year, double the figure for 2002.

Han's second term will run through the 2010 World Expo, which is expected to serve as a showcase for the country's international competitiveness.

He told the people's congress the government will continue transforming Shanghai into a city of "four centers" - international trade, shipping, finance and logistics - as it continues to raise the standard of living.

A group of 856 deputies to the congress voted yesterday, electing Han as mayor and Liu Yungeng as director of the congress.

They also elected eight vice-mayors, seven vice-directors to the congress, the director of the Shanghai High People's Court, and the chief prosecutor of Shanghai municipal prosecutors' office.

(China Daily January 31, 2008)