World Bulletin / News Desk

China’s top Internet regulator Lu Wei has been replaced by his deputy, an official statement announced Wednesday.

State news agency Xinhua reported that the statement revealed that the Communist Party of China Central Committee decided that Xu Lin would succeed Lu as head of the Office of the Central Leading Group for Cyberspace Affairs.

According to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, Xu is considered a key ally of President Xi Jinping who had worked alongside him as a standing member of Shanghai’s municipal party committee during Xi’s term as the party chief of China’s most populous country.

Beijing blocks thousands of websites to prevent citizens viewing politically sensitive information.

Lu, who was listed among Time magazine’s top 100 most influential people worldwide last year, has been accused by some of restricting online freedom and lauded by others for maintaining social stability.