SHANGHAI, Sept. 26 -- The departure of Dai Haibo from the post of executive deputy director of the Shanghai free trade zone is "a normal personnel reshuffle", said the head of the trade zone in Shanghai on Friday.

Ai Baojun, director of the zone, told a press conference in Shanghai on Friday that Dai remains deputy secretary of the Shanghai municipal government and is assisting him with several major tasks.

"The Shanghai free trade zone has been in operation for a year, with an institutional framework in place, so (Dai Haibo's departure) is a normal personnel reshuffle," Ai said, without providing details.

Shanghai authorities said on September 15 that Dai Haibo was no longer Communist Party chief and executive deputy director of the FTZ.