China's President Hu Jintao (
Hu has formally replaced former president Jiang Zemin (江澤民) as head of the Central Foreign Affairs Leading Group and the Central Leading Group for Taiwan Affairs, the paper reported, citing unnamed official sources.
Last November Hu replaced Jiang as the party head at a key Party Congress and in March was named president by the legislature, also replacing Jiang.
Officials at the Taiwan Affairs Office of the the State Council, which is run by the leading group on Taiwan affairs, said they were unaware of the changes.
"We have not been notified of any formal changes," one official said.
Officials at the State Council, China's Cabinet, and at the foreign ministry, could not immediately confirm the changes.
The Financial Times also said that Jia Qinglin (賈慶林), ranked number four in the party's hierarchy, was named as deputy head of the Taiwan leading group, replacing China's elderly foreign affairs statesman Qian Qichen (錢其琛).
Jia has long been seen as a protege of Jiang.
"This is true, we have been hearing of these changes for some time," a policy planner at a leading Taiwan affairs think tank said on condition of anonymity.
"This is a move that fits in with the political transition toward a younger leadership during the 16th Party Congress (in November)."
Other foreign affairs advisors had not heard of the changes, but expressed little surprise.
"I haven't heard of any of these appointments, but if so it does not come as a surprise," said Zhu Feng, director of the International Studies Program at Beijing University, another government think tank.
"The state president needs to have more power to speak out on such issues as foreign affairs and Taiwan," he said.
The move comes as Hu completed his first overseas tour as president last month and this month.
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