The Singapore government has appointed career diplomat Stanley Loh Ka Leung as the country's next ambassador to China, with effect from March, local media reported on Thursday.

Loh, 40, will take over from Chin Siat Yoon, who has been the ambassador to China for 14 years since 1998.

Loh will also be the youngest diplomat to assume the post since Singapore and China established official diplomatic ties in 1990.

He was previously Singapore's trade representative in Taipei, China, from July 2007 to April last year. His earlier diplomatic postings include being counselor at the High Commission in Malaysia and deputy chief of mission of the embassy in the United States.

He was press secretary of former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong from 2004 to 2007. In 2005, he was also director of the Middle East affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Local Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao said Chin Siat Yoon will be the next ambassador to Japan.

In a separate statement on Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also announced that Chan Heng Wing, 65, will be the non- resident high commissioner to Bangladesh. The one-time television journalist joined the ministry in 1981, and his former postings include being ambassador to Thailand as well as consul-general to Hong Kong and later Shanghai.