" style="WIDTH: 450px; HEIGHT: 308px" title=""/>  Lu Hao joins a group discussion of the Jiangxi delegation to the 16th Communist Youth League of China's National Congress in Beijing on June 10, 2008. [youth.cn]

BEIJING -- Lu Hao was elected the first secretary of the Secretariat of the 16th Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) Central Committee during the CYLC's 16th National Congress here Friday.

Lu was previously appointed first secretary of the Secretariat of the 15th Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) Central Committee in May, replacing Hu Chunhua, who was appointed acting governor of the northern Hebei Province.

A graduate from Peking University and a major in economics, he began his career in the Beijing Woolen Textile Manufacturing Factory where he rose to factory director.

He later became vice general manager of Beijing Textile Holding(Group) Co., Ltd. He then worked as director of the Management Committee of the Beijing-based Zhongguancun Science and Technology Park, and vice Party secretary of the CPC Haidian District Committee.

In 2003, he was elected vice mayor of Beijing in charge of industry.

Yang Yue, Wang Xiao, He Junke, Lu Yongzheng, Luo Mei and Wang Hongyan were elected secretaries of the 16th CYLC Central Committee during the meeting.

The 16th National Congress of CYLC opened here on Tuesday and concluded Friday. More than 1,500 delegates nationwide attended.

Founded in 1922, the CYLC is a mass youth organization under the leadership of the Communist Party of China.

CYLC had a membership of 75.4 million as of 2007. About one in four, or 24.8 percent, of Chinese youth were members, according to the CYLC Central Committee.