Head of major Chinese oil company quits

BEIJING - The chairman of China's No. 2 oil company, Sinopec Corp., has resigned abruptly, citing personal reasons.

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Chen Tonghai resigned from his Sinopec post and as president of the company's state-owned parent effective Friday, according to announcements by Sinopec and the government.

Sinopec said only that Chen resigned for personal reasons.

Sinopec, also known as China Petroleum & Chemical Co., is China's second-biggest oil company after China National Petroleum Corp., and Asia's biggest refiner by capacity.

Sinopec has struggled financially in recent years, squeezed by rising oil prices and government controls that limit its ability to pass on costs to consumers.