BEIJING: China's state-owned energy giant Sinochem Group said on Monday that it has named Yang Hua, former chairman of China's biggest offshore oil and gas producer, state-backed CNOOC Group, as general manager of the company.

The company said in a statement the personnel change was made by the organisation department of China's Communist Party, which controls staff movements at government- and state-owned firms.

Sinochem's former general manager Zhang Wei was moved to state oil firm China National Petroleum Corp in December.