Acting president Zhang keen to improve AFC operations

BEIJING - China's Zhang Jilong claims he will try his best to improve the Asian soccer community after temporarily taking the helm of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Chinese media has reported.

After its president, Mohamed bin Hammam, was suspended from all soccer activities over bribe claims, the AFC announced on Tuesday that Zhang, the senior vice-president, would take charge automatically as acting president.

"My priority at the new post is to ease the negative effect of bin Hammam's corruption allegations on Asian soccer. We should aim to improve the AFC's operations and make it run more transparently," Zhang told China's portal Sina.com after being informed of his appointment.