China's parliament has elected a former Shanghai mayor believed close to President Xi Jinping as the country's top prosecutor. Ying Yong also served previously as the head of Hubei Province.

Ying was elected prosecutor-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate on Saturday at the ongoing session of the National People's Congress.

Ying once worked under Xi in Zhejiang Province. He served as a senior official of the province's supervision department and high court.

He became deputy prosecutor-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate in September last year.

President Xi is apparently filling key government posts with officials from his circle in a bid to further cement his grip on power.