BEIJING: China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) said on Friday that Li Fanrong had been appointed as new general manager of the group, the company said in a statement posted on its website.

Li, a former president of CNOOC Ltd，will step down as deputy head of China's National Energy Administration and take up the second-highest position in CNPC, China's biggest oil and gas producer.

CNPC appointed Dai Houliang as its chairman last month, who moved from rival Sinopec.