BEIJING – A vice minister of public security, a close confidant ofPresident Xi Jinping, is tipped to take over as China’s spy master, fivesources said, as the country looks to clean up its security apparatus andplug intelligence gaps.

China has poured billions of yuan into domestic security, but the secretiveMinistry of State Security and the Ministry of Public Security in recentyears have been hit with high-level corruption scandals and intelligencefailings.

Wang Xiaohong, 60, a vice minister of public security, will replace ChenWenqing as minister of state security during the session of parliamentwhich begins on March 5, three sources with ties to the leadership and twoforeign diplomats said.

Chen, 58, will become the country’s top prosecutor after a little more thana year as minister of state security, three of the sources said. Theministry is responsible for counter-intelligence, foreign intelligence andnational security.

The change of guard is part of a broader cabinet reshuffle during thetwo-week parliamentary session.

Wang and President Xi have long-standing ties. Wang is a native of thesoutheastern province of Fujian, where Xi spent 17 years cutting his teethfrom 1985 to 2002.