China's State Council, or the cabinet, appointed the head of National Corruption Prevention Bureau, a brand new anti-corruption agency, on Thursday.

Ma Wen, the newly appointed minister of supervision, was appointed head of the bureau, with Qu Wanxiang, vice-minister of supervision, as the deputy head, according to a statement issued by the State Council.

Such appointments are a sign that the long-anticipated agency on coordinating nationwide efforts for the prevention of rampant corruption has started operation.

The new anti-corruption agency "is expected to play an effective role in corruption prevention," Gan Yisheng, spokesman for the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the Communist Party of China (CPC), said at a press conference in February.

The bureau will follow effective practices seen overseas, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency September 6, 2007)