Sinopec appoints new chairman

China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) has appointed Su Shulin as its new chairman in August, following the resignation of Chen Tonghai, in June due to “personal reasons”. The appointment of Su indicates that the state-owned corporation, Asias largest refiner, may expand its focus on upstream operations. His appointment came as no surprise as he had been nominated as general manager and secretary of the CPC (Communist Party of China) Committee of China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec Group), Sinopec’s parent company, in June after Chen resigned both posts. A former senior executive president of PetroChina Co. Ltd, another state-owned oil giant, Su, 45, formerly worked at the Daqing oil field in northeast China. (June 26/August 10, 2007)