The Communist Party of China has named a senior official with rich experience in media management as the new head of its publicity department, and appointed one of its most senior female leaders to be Party chief of the northern port city of Tianjin.

Liu Qibao will leave his position as Party chief of Southwest China's Sichuan province to take over as head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, according to a decision made by the CPC Central Committee announced on Wednesday.

He has replaced Liu Yunshan, who has been elected to the seven-person Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.