China's environment head resigns following chemical spill

The head of China’s environmental protection administration has resigned, the official Xinhua News Agency said today, following a chemical spill that has polluted a major river and embarrassed President Hu Jintao’s government.

Xie Zhenhua, director of China’s State Environmental Protection Administration, was replaced by Zhou Shengxian, former director of the State Forestry Administration, Xinhua said. It did not give any details or reasons for the resignation.