The official, who declined to be named, said the State Council has recently agreed the ministry's major functions, framework and personnel arrangements.

The official said MOFCOM will soon announce these decisions, but failed to reveal further details.

MOFCOM was created during the 10th National People's Congress in March, by incorporating the domestic and foreign trade administrations of different government departments. The move is designed to streamline management of the industry.

The ministry was a combination of the former Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation (MOFTEC), the State Economic and Trade Commission (SETC) and the State Development Planning Commission (SDPC).

Three bureaux and department originally under the SETC, which were in charge of internal trade including the trade and market bureau, the investigative bureau on industry damage and the national office on clearing up and standardizing market order, would be incorporated into MOFCOM.

The new ministry will also take over SDPC's responsibilities to draft and implement import and export plans for agricultural products as well as SETC's to co-ordinate with foreign economies and draft and implement import and export plans for key industrial products and important materials.

Lu Fuyuan was appointed to head the MOFCOM.

Before the appointment, Lu has worked as vice-minister of MOFTEC, vice-minister of education, vice-minister of the machinery industry and with the First Automotive Works in Changchun in Northeast China's Jilin Province.

The vice-ministers of MOFCOM include Yu Guangzhou, Zhang Zhigang, An Min, Wei Jianguo, Ma Xiuhong and Liao Xiaoqi.

Yu Guangzhou was originally deputy commissioner of the now-defunct SDPC.

(China Daily May 16, 2003)