Yang Xiong, deputy mayor of Shanghai since 2003, was promoted to acting mayor of the eastern metropolis on Wednesday.

The appointment was made at a session of the city's top legislature ― the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal People's Congress.

The session also accepted the resignation of Han Zheng as mayor. Han was appointed Party chief of the city on Nov 20.

"I will fully cherish this opportunity to serve the people in Shanghai and will continue to be people-oriented while in office," Yang said on Wednesday.

Similar to his predecessor Han, Yang, 59, has spent his entire professional life in Shanghai since 1985. He has extensive experience at government departments and State-owned enterprises in Shanghai.

A native of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, Yang obtained a master's degree in economics from the graduate school of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

He started his career as deputy head of a division at the municipality's economic research center. He also served at the municipal planning committee in Shanghai, a predecessor of the city's development and reform commission, which oversees economic development in the municipality.

Yang was later appointed chairman of the board of Shanghai Information Investment and chairman of the board of Shanghai Airlines.

He became the deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai municipal government in 2001 and was elected deputy mayor in 2003.