CHINA INSIGHT
Thursday, February 27, 2014 MONTHLY
The Information Office of the CPC International Department China.org.cn
China’s New Leadership:
Ordinary Lives and Extraordinary Dreams
Editor’s note: This issue of China Insight presents you special coverage of China’s new leadership, as well as
a special report on the Chinese Dream, which were first published in Civilization Magazine. The coverage
features for the first time a rare glimpse of the careers of China’s leaders, showcasing their political careers,
personal styles and details about their families. Many photos in this issue have been published for the first time.
“The People Are Our Strength”
— Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC
Central Committee
“Realizing the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is not
just about making our country prosperous, but also about revitalizing the nation and
making the people happy.”
— Xi Jinping
April 8-10, 2013: Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Chinese president, and chairman of the Central
Military Commission, makes an inspection tour to Hainan Province. On the afternoon of April 9, he tried on a bamboo hat gifted him
by local Li people at Lande Rose Industrial Park in Yalong Bay.
On December 7, 2012, the 23rd day after his election as
the General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee,
Xi Jinping paid his first visit to Shenzhen in Guangdong
Province, the forefront of China’s economic reform and
opening-up. Throughout his journey, Xi traveled humbly
and made direct contacts with the masses, talking with
them cordially.
On December 8, General Secretary Xi laid a wreath at a
statue of the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping at the foot
of Lianhua Hill. He then strolled amongst the surrounding
crowd, shaking hands and waving to convey his greetings.
During his visit to Guangdong, Xi called on the entire
Party and people from all ethnic groups to hold firm to the
path of reform and opening-up and place greater focus on
the pursuit of reform in a more systematic, integrated and
coordinated way. Xi vowed no end to reform, and no end
to opening-up.
During his Guangdong visit, Xi retraced the route
Deng Xiaoping toured 20 years ago to inspect the country
at a crossroad. Media reports noted that Xi is a leader
who brings a fresh perspective to the country’s political
realm, firmly drives reform and opening-up – leading the
Chinese nation on a path to the “Chinese dream.”
On November 15, 2012, Xi, at the age of 59, was
elected general secretary of the CPC Central Committee
at the First Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central
Committee, to become the first Chinese head of the Party
born after 1949, the year the People’s Republic of China
was founded. He is now at the helm of the 91-year-old
CPC, after three generations of the central leadership
with Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, and Jiang Zemin at
the core, and the fourth, most recent leadership with Hu
Jintao as the general secretary.
As China enters the decisive stage of completing
the building of a moderately prosperous society in all
respects, Xi Jinping is positioned at the center of the
country’s political arena, grabbing the relay baton of
history. Meanwhile, as the leader of the world’s second
largest economy, he stands at the forefront of the world
stage.
The whole country and world have fixed their eyes on
Xi Jinping, wondering:
- What will he do to lead a party of 82 million members,
the largest of its kind in the world, to better serve the
people?
- What will he do to lead China’s 1.3 billion people to
complete the building of a moderately prosperous society
in all respects by the 100th anniversary of the founding of
the CPC in 2021? How will he lead the people to achieve
the goal of building an affluent, strong, democratic,
civilized and harmonious modern socialist China by the
time the country celebrates its centennial in 2049?
- What will he do to lead China towards its duty to
contribute to world peace and development?
...
At a press conference attended by more than 500
Chinese and foreign journalists after the conclusion of the
First Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee,
Xi Jinping frankly admitted the heavy burden on his
shoulders and summed up the mission of the new central
collective leadership across three responsibilities: to the
nation, to the people, and to the Party.
Xi’s solemn commitment foreshadows his historical
responsibility to the Chinese nation and his faith in the
continued improvement of Chinese governance.
always aiming to “look at the big picture,” and “take
things one step at a time.” (Click here for full text)
July 18, 2011: Xi Jinping, then member of the Standing
Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central
Committee, Chinese vice president, and vice chairman of the
Central Military Commission, heads a delegation from the
Central Government to visit the new campus of Tibet University
and greets teachers and students.
“Take the lead through solid work”
May 21, 2013: Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central
Committee, Chinese president, and chairman of the Central
Military Commission, kisses a little boy in a temporary tent for
earthquake victims during his visit to Lushan County, Sichuan
Province.
“Empty talk is harmful to the nation, while practical work
can help it thrive,” Xi remarked during his visit to the
exhibition The Road Toward Renewal in Beijing, 15 days
after his election as the CPC’s new head. He himself knows
that the Chinese Dream has to be built on hard work.
To jump start the “solid work”, Xi introduced eight
measures to improve Party work style and tighten its bond
with the people, including more intimate contact with the
people, traveling light and simpler and shorter meetings
and speeches.
Xi has demanded concrete efforts to tackle issues which
concern the people most and working towards practical
goals. He believes that without implementation, even the
best blueprint is nothing but a castle in the sky. (Click here
for full text)
“One who seeks a good life should also help
others live happily.”
“The people’s longing for a good life is what we
are fighting for!”
Ever since Xi Jinping
uttered these words, in his
first speech after becoming
general secretary of the
Communist Party of China,
he has made very public
his ambition to improve
the lives of all the Chinese
people.
This principle is
particularly personal for
President Xi, as he himself
rose from the grass roots
level. His political career
started forty-four years
1972: Xi Jinping returns from
ago, when he went down
Shaanxi Province to visit
to the countryside in rural
his family in Beijing during
the time when he works as
Shaanxi Province, and was
an educated youth in the
appointed a village Party
countryside.
leader.
Decades later, the ambitions of the people are Xi
Jinping’s policymaking guide. “In my view, renewing the
Chinese nation is greatest dream for the Chinese people in
modern history,” he said. (Click here for full text)
“Love the people the way they love their
parents.”
February 2012: Then Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping is
honored to make the first kick during his visit to Gaelic Athletic
Association in Ireland.
Xi Jinping believes that China, as a responsible country,
should not only manage its own affairs, but also properly
maintain its relationships with the rest of the world, to
contribute to world peace and development. Xi is frank
and honest with foreign guests. In the eyes of many
foreign dignitaries, Xi is a confident, discerning and
amicable leader.
During each visit abroad, Xi has repeated the message
that China will endeavor towards common progress,
develop new global partnerships based on equality and
join the world to make it a better place to live. (Click here
for full text)
Leading an honest life
1983: Xi Jinping (center, front row), then Party chief of
Zhengding County, Hebei Province, listens to locals.
Xi Jinping uses straightforward language to express
his close affiliation with the Chinese people on many
occasions. After leaving the countryside aged 22, his life
goal had been etched in stone – “Do something concrete
for the people.” In each of his positions, he has worked
among the people, and gained their respect, through his
hard work and caring attitude.
He said “Party members should consider civilians the
people we rely on for a living. Officials should love the
people the way they love their parents, work on their behalf,
and lead them to prosperity.” (Click here for full text)
“Crowning success does not have to occur during
my term.”
Since taking the lead of the Party, Xi has shown great
determination to push reform and opening up. He is openminded, and is a bold reformer. During his tenure in
Xiamen, one of China’s Special Economic Zones (SEZ),
he was responsible for drafting the city’s economic and
social development plan for 1985 and 2000 – an important
blueprint for project implementation and economic policy
formulation.
In Xi’s mind, a leader should not only live in the present
but also be farsighted and prepare for the future while
working towards something. In Fuzhou, Fujian Province,
Zhejiang Province and Shanghai, he spearheaded many
initiatives to build a foundation for future development,
Xi Jinping carries his daughter on a bicycle in Fuzhou, Fujian
Province.
Xi Jinping’s father suffered political persecution for 16
years beginning in 1962. However, he never gave up in the
face of adversity and ultimately helped clear the names of
other people who were persecuted. Xi’s mother, Qi Xin is
also a veteran cadre and Party member. The Xi family has a
tradition of being strict with children and living a simple life.
Xi Jinping has carried on his family’s tradition and
maintained strictness within his own family. Wherever he
worked, he forbade relatives from doing business there
or anything in his name. Whether in Fujian, Zhejiang or
Shanghai, he pledged at official meetings that no one was
allowed to seek personal benefits by using his name.
Xi married Peng Liyuan, a renowned and popular
soprano opera singer in 1980. Over the past 30-plus years,
she has given hundreds of free performances for people
from all walks of life across the country as an expression
of gratitude and appreciation. Peng is currently shifting
her focus from performance to education, and she is very
committed to charity work. (Click here for full text)
Photo gallery
Thursday, February 27, 2014 PAGE 2
The Information Office of the CPC International Department China.org.cn
“Putting People First”
— Li Keqiang, Member of the Standing Committee of
the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee
August 8, 2003: Li Keqiang talks with residents of Mazhuang Village in Qiaobei Township,
Yuanyang County during his inspection of Xinxiang City, Henan Province.
From a village’s Party branch to prestigious Peking
University to the Central Committee of the Communist
Youth League of China (CYLC), and from agricultural
titan Henan Province to the leading industrial heavyweight
Liaoning Province, which has been called the “eldest son
of the People’s Republic,” to the highest leading body of
the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China
(CPC), Li Keqiang has continued improving his overall
planning ability and decision-making capacity through
his rich accumulation of political experience. Confident,
smart and eloquent in public, Li is frank, amiable, resolute
and dedicated to his work, according to his acquaintances.
After 10 years at Peking University, Li left with a
bachelor’s degree in law and master’s and doctorate
degrees in economics. The experience has not only
nourished his strong affection for his homeland, but also
helped him develop profound cultural insights and a
broad international perspective. Likely due to his early
experience governing at the grassroots level, Li has
continuously stayed down-to-earth and has held fast to the
principle of putting people first.
On November 15, 2012, Li was re-elected a member
of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the
CPC Central Committee at the First Plenary Session of the
18th CPC Central Committee in Beijing. Six days later,
he vowed further reform at a conference on advancing
comprehensive reform, where he remarked, “Only reform
and opening-up can improve Chinese people’s living
standards,” “Reform is the biggest dividend for China,”
“Future reform must ensure equal rights and opportunities
for the people and ensure that everybody adheres to
the rules,” “Reform should be advanced within legal
framework,” “Reform is like rowing upstream. Failing
to advance means falling back,” and “It’s our historical
responsibility to move forward and try more. Those who
refuse to reform may not make mistakes, but they will be
blamed for not assuming their historical responsibility.”
When presiding over meetings, Li forbids the reading of
prepared speeches, and encourages participants to speak
freely while he asks incisive and persistent questions to
cut straight to the heart of each matter. Such a practical
working style which places focus on solving problems
adds both pressure and excitement to his meetings. In
a meeting about HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment,
he encouraged representatives from nongovernmental
organizations to share more information, even though this
delayed appointments with other officials.
All these evidences reflect Li’s determination to reform,
his decisiveness and practicality, and his great care for
the people – all of which he has maintained continuously
during his journey from local to central leadership.
global financial crisis. Li
displayed a strong sense
of responsibility and
tackled challenges in fields
such as disaster relief,
macroeconomic regulation,
housing, medical reform,
food safety, and disease
control. He has shined
in every test history has
thrown at him.
As premier of the
S t a t e Co u n ci l, L i h a s
frequently faced thorny
challenges, but has never
wavered or publicized his
accomplishments, opting
to solve problems quietly
but effectively. Overseas
media outlets have called
him a “master hand at
resolving complicated
difficulties.” (Click here
for full text)
Putting people first
November 18, 2011: Li
Keqiang shakes hands
with an HIV-positive
person while inspecting
AIDS prevention and
treatment work in
Beijing.
Li’s tenacity and decisiveness in the face of challenges and
his people-oriented governing style can be attributed to his
early experience at the grassroots level. In March 1974,
19-year-old Li was dispatched to Fengyang, a povertystricken county in eastern Anhui Province, to take up
farming. “He was always the first to arrive to work, selfdisciplined, down-to-earth and kind,” one villager recalls.
He later became China’s youngest-ever provincial
governor with a doctoral degree. For seven years from
1998, he served as governor and then secretary of the
Provincial CPC Committee of Henan. At the time, the
province was among the most underdeveloped regions
in China. Li forewent unnecessary social activities and
immersed himself in solving problems concerning the
province’s development.
When he became Party chief of the province in 2002,
Li immediately placed HIV/AIDS prevention and
treatment at the top of his agenda. To ensure that HIV
and AIDS patients could live decent lives, he launched a
program that provided them shelter, food, clothing and
basic medical insurance and ensured that students with an
infected family member need not drop out of school. His
HIV/AIDS prevention measures are now standard across
the country. (Click here for full text)
Scholarly temperament
A tenacious reformer
May 3, 2012: Li Keqiang talks with European Commission
President Jose Manuel Barroso at the closing ceremony of
the China-European Union High-Level Meeting on Energy in
Brussels, Belgium.
January 28, 2010: Li Keqiang answers reporters’ questions in
Davos, Switzerland.
From 2007 to 2012, China faced multiple challenges,
including the deadly Wenchuan earthquake and the
During a visit to Hong Kong in August 2011, Li gave
a speech in both Chinese and English at the University
of Hong Kong. Li’s three-day visit to Hong Kong was
dubbed a “whirlwind tour” by local media.
Li’s knowledge and wisdom about foreign affairs have
also drawn attention from the international community.
His unique and glamorous style in diplomatic affairs
deeply impressed European politicians. The Belgian Prime
Minister told Li that he enjoyed a “good reputation in
Europe.” (Click here for full text)
Photo gallery
“Keeping the People in Mind”
— Zhang Dejiang, Member of the Standing Committee
of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee
In his post as Vice Premier, Zhang Dejiang took charge
of industry, transportation, social security and other
crucial areas of work. At the same time, he also served
as director of the State Council Work Safety Committee.
(Click here for full text)
Experienced leader
February 26, 2011: Zhang Dejiang presides over a meeting in
Beijing to address an emergency plan to rescue Chinese citizens
from Libya.
“No matter how high our cadres’ posts are, we are still
members of the general public. We must always bear the
people in mind,” said Zhang Dejiang, now a member of
the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the
18th CPC Central Committee, more than two decades
ago when he served as deputy secretary of the CPC Jilin
Provincial Committee.
A strong believer of “governing for the people,” Zhang
Dejiang started up his political career from university’s
leadership. Having hardened himself on both provincial
and national posts and having served as a member of the
Political Bureau for two consecutive terms, 66-year-old
Zhang Dejiang was elected a member of the Standing
Committee of the Political Bureau of the 18th CPC
Central Committee on Nov 15, 2012.
Before his elevation to CPC’s top leadership, Zhang
reshaped the image of Southwest China’s metropolis of
Chongqing, maintained its social stability and pushed its
economic development as the municipality’s Party chief,
a post he held between March and November in 2012.
“I wish Chongqing a prosperous future. This city will be
always on my mind,” remarked Zhang at the leadership
meeting of Chongqing government when he left office on
November 20, 2012.
June 2, 2004: Zhang Dejiang (middle) attends “The Pan-Pearl
River Delta Regional Cooperation and Development Forum.”
Zhang had served as Party chief for three provinciallevel regions since 1995, including Jilin, Zhejiang and
Guangdong, and Chongqing Municipality. Taking
provincial differences into consideration, Zhang achieved
remarkable things in all of the regions.
In Guangdong, for example, he proposed cooperation
in the Pan-Pearl River Delta region, which strengthened
economic links among nine provincial-level regions on the
Chinese mainland and the special administrative regions of
Hong Kong and Macao. (Click here for full text)
Educated youth
Sense of responsibility
May 30, 2012: Zhang Dejiang joins local children in celebrating
International Children’s Day in Chongqing Municipality.
August 20, 1998: Zhang Dejiang arrives at a village in Zhenlai
County, Jilin Province, which has been plagued by flooding, to
oversee disaster relief efforts.
Zhang Dejiang was commander-in-chief of the “national
operation” to evacuate more than 30,000 people from
across Libya in 2011. He demonstrated the principle of
“diplomacy to serve the people.”
Zhang was born in Tai’an County in northeast China’s
Liaoning Province in November 1946. In 1968, he was
sent to Luozigou Commune in Wangqing County in
the neighboring Jilin Province to work as an “educated
youth” – a term that refers to young intellectuals who
were dispatched to the countryside from the cities to learn
from farmers during the “Cultural Revolution” (1966-76).
From 1972 to 1975, Zhang studied at Yanbian University
and later served as deputy secretary of the General
Party Branch of the university’s Department of Korean
Language. From 1978 to 1980, he studied at Kim Il-sung
University in the DPRK.
Zhang’s experience as an “educated youth” tempered
his personality and made him able to endure hardships and
hard work, and it also gave him a deep understanding of
grassroots people and their work. (Click here for full text)
Photo gallery
The Information Office of the CPC International Department China.org.cn
Thursday, February 27, 2014 PAGE 3
“Seek Results Not Reputation”
— Yu Zhengsheng, Member of the Standing Committee
of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee
As minister of construction, Yu prioritized quality in
construction projects. (Click here for full text)
Seek truth and do practical things
February 11, 2010: Yu Zhengsheng (R) talks with passengers
while inspecting work for the Spring Festival travel rush at
Shanghai South Railway Station.
“To complete the construction of a moderately prosperous
society in all respects, and achieve the great renewal of
the Chinese nation following the path of socialism with
Chinese characteristics, we must consolidate wisdom and
efforts from all ethnic groups of our nation including
representative figures from democratic parties and public
figures without party affiliation,” Yu Zhengsheng, member
of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the
CPC Central Committee, said in a congratulatory speech
on behalf of CPC Central Committee when meeting with
deputies to the 15th National Congress of Chinese Peasants
and Workers Democratic Party on December 6, 2012.
On November 15, 2012, 67-year-old Yu was elected
member of the Standing Committee of the Political
Bureau of the CPC Central Committee at the First Plenary
Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee and made his
way into China’s top leadership.
Yu’s refined speech and behavior is reminiscent of
scholarly-style leaders. He has rich political experience in
various posts from local to state-level. “Do practical things
and solve more problems,” he said. “I have no aspirations
for great things. I just hope to be worthy of the country
and people.” This is Yu’s political creed.
October 31, 2010: Yu Zhengsheng visits working staffers serving
the Shanghai World Expo and thanks them for their efforts.
Known for his governing philosophy “Old Yu Style”,
Yu encourages his colleagues to express opinions and
shortly after he became Shanghai Party secretary, various
governmental agencies and research institutes in the city
received a notice that the Municipal Party Committee was
soliciting advice with “no forbidden areas as long as the
advice is constructive.”
Yu often made inspection visits without telling local
officials. He usually speaks without prepared notes. During
visits, he prefers to ask questions rather than listen to
reports. His working style has helped him conquer many
difficult challenges in his work. (Click here for full text)
Man of integrity and official of the people
Solid foundation for the future
June 10, 2012: Yu Zhengsheng at the opening ceremony of the
First Shanghai Citizen’s Games.
June 17, 2010: Yu Zhengsheng inspects Xuhui District, Shanghai.
Yu advocated “setting a solid foundation for future”
during his tenures in Shandong and Hubei provinces,
and at the Ministry of Construction, as well as in
Shanghai. During his service as secretary of the Shanghai
Municipal CPC Committee, Shanghai was being built
into “two centers”: an international financial center and
an international shipping center, which are both part of
China’s national development strategy.
In Shandong, Yu launched one of China’s first housing
reform projects as mayor of the coastal city of Yantai in
the mid-1980s. He was given the nickname “mayor of
brands” in Qingdao, another coastal city in Shandong.
Yu’s style is to seek the truth, be pragmatic and perform
solid work. He always keeps the interests of the masses
in mind. He instructs the petition department and his
secretary to tell him about complaints or give him
anything of substantial content that helps to illustrate
larger problems. As a long-time user of the Internet, Yu
always takes a laptop on trips and uses the Internet every
day to stay informed.
Shanghai has now established a reporting system for
officials’ important personal matters. Officials must report
on their personal matters annually, including information
about their housing and personal income from various
channels, such as income from marketable securities.
During his work in Qingdao, Yu once declared his
personal income, housing condition and gifts he received.
He was willing to be supervised by the masses. (Click
here for full text)
Photo gallery
“From Down-to-Earth Journalist to
Top CPC Leadership”
— Liu Yunshan, Member of the Standing Committee of
the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee
before serving as a Xinhua journalist in Inner Mongolia
from 1975 to 1982. During those seven years, he traveled
extensively around major farming and grazing areas in
Inner Mongolia and wrote many stories on agriculture and
animal husbandry and covered many of the most vivid
scenes in the countryside.
Liu started his political career in 1982, after being
transferred to serve as deputy secretary of the Inner
Mongolia Autonomous Regional Committee of the
Communist Youth League of China and deputy head of
the Publicity Department of the CPC Inner Mongolia
Autonomous Regional Committee. (Click here for full text)
Publicity construction
March 22, 2009: Liu Yunshan learns about publishers’
restructuring during an investigative tour of Shandong
Publishing Group.
“Today, our Party has a good line to follow and solid
goals to attain,” remarked Liu Yunshan. “But what
really matters is how we turn those ideas into action by
improving the way we work, the manner in which we
study and the style in which we write.”
Liu, a senior official of the Communist Party of China
(CPC), was participating in a symposium in Beijing on
December 10, 2012, which was held to solicit public
opinions about how to learn and publicize ideas of the
18th National Congress of the CPC.
The symposium again showcased the efficient working
style that new CPC leadership promotes. After the 18th
National Congress of the CPC, members of the Standing
Committee of the Political Bureau often participated in
such symposiums to identify public concerns.
On November 15, 2012, Liu, at the age of 65, was
elevated to the top leadership of the CPC at the First
Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee.
“Get down to the earth,” Liu often told his colleagues.
“Only in this way can we become people of confidence
and intelligence.” He follows such principles himself. His
pragmatism impressed people, whether he was a journalist
with Xinhua News Agency or head of the Publicity
Department of the CPC Central Committee – whether
he was living in border areas of northern China’s Inner
Mongolia Autonomous Region or in Beijing, the Chinese
capital.
Grassroots attachment
March 25, 2009: Liu Yunshan talks with citizens of Weifang City
in Shandong Province.
Liu believes that the publicity department is actually a
department for development. He is devoted to promoting
ideology, culture, thought and theory. A saying now
popular with the Chinese press originated from Liu:
“Communication capability determines the power of
influence, the right of speech determines initiative, and
transparency determines credibility.” Both domestic
and international press circles agree that the Chinese
media have progressed most quickly in the last ten years,
especially in terms of reporting on sudden events.
Liu encourages Party and governmental departments to
appropriately treat, utilize and manage media and create
conditions for media to discover wrongdoing and corruption.
But he also emphasizes that supervision of the media
should be objective, based on facts and should be scientific,
legitimate and constructive. (Click here for full text)
Cultural reform
July 17, 2010: Liu Yunshan chats with members of the
Puncog family in Lunang Town, Nyingchi County, Tibet
Autonomous Region.
Autumn 1981: Liu Yunshan (center), then a Xinhua reporter,
interviews Ewenqi hunters in northern Inner Mongolia
Autonomous Region.
Born into a farming family, Liu spent most of his
childhood and early adulthood in Inner Mongolia. After
graduating from a local teachers’ college in 1968, Liu
taught at a rural school and participated in farm work
Trailblazing a path to build China into a cultural power is
another challenge Liu faces. In 2010 he released his ideas
about the self-consciousness, self-confidence and selfimprovement of Chinese culture, which was praised by
some Internet users as a “strategic vision.”
Dubbed the “commander” of cultural reform, Liu
established the roadmap and set a timetable for reform
after conducting comprehensive research. Over the last
decade, China’s cultural system reform has made great
progress, paving the way for the construction of a nation
brimming with cultural strength. (Click here for full text)
Photo gallery
Thursday, February 27, 2014 PAGE 4
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“Pragmatic and Dedicated”
— Wang Qishan, Member of the Standing Committee
of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee
March 1999: Wang
Qishan speaks within the
delegation of Guangdong
Province while attending
the 2nd Session of the
9th National People’s
Congress (NPC).
From “educated youth” working in the countryside to
a member of the Standing Committee of the Political
Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of
the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection,
Wang Qishan won fame for his success averting the
Guangdong Province financial crisis, fighting SARS in
Beijing and addressing the global financial crisis and
European debt crisis. Also he oversaw much of the
organization of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and
2010 Shanghai Expo. At different positions and events,
Wang has demonstrated complete devotion and displayed
the same style: tough, resolute and confident when facing
difficulties.
“The ethics of the Party determines its survival or
demise,” Wang declared at a symposium on November
30, 2012, a half month after his appointment to his new
role as secretary of the CPC Central Commission for
Discipline Inspection, China’s top disciplinary watchdog
on corruption. “In the fight against corruption, we can
not achieve our goal with one stroke. We must convince
the public that we are making greater concrete efforts
and delivering more and more powerful blows.” At
the symposium, Wang asked his guests to forgo empty
formulas and get straight to the point. He also encouraged
them to forget prepared speeches in favor of sharing
astute insight.
“We need deep thought, field research and ultimately
institutional innovation,” remarked Wang. “Trust cannot
replace supervision. We cannot overuse the trust and
credibility of our Party.” Also he exclaimed that “we must
establish a royal, reliable and righteous supervisory team
that serves the people.”
Troubleshooter
May 1982: Wang Qishan
(second left) accompanies
leaders from the Rural
Policy Research Office
of the Secretariat of the
Central Committee of
the Communist Party
of China (CPC) to
inspect Putian, Fujian
Province, in preparation
for drafting 1983’s first
central policy document.
At the peak of SARS outbreak in 2003, Wang Qishan was
transferred from Hainan to combat SARS in Beijing. The
epidemic was under control only one month after Wang
arrived in Beijing. His weight, however, dropped 10 kg in
the first six months he worked in the city. “As mayor of
Beijing, I know that the security of lives and property is
most important,” said Wang.
As executive chairman of the organizing committee of
the 2008 Olympic Games while he was Beijing’s mayor
as well as director of the organizing committee of the
Shanghai World Expo during his tenure as vice premier,
Wang made painstaking efforts and contributed wisdom to
the two events that grabbed global attention. (Click here
for full text)
Courageous and resolute
In early 1998, Wang became executive deputy governor of
southern China’s Guangdong Province, which was facing
the impact of the Asian financial crisis. The toughest test
for Wang was to tackle the payment crisis of the nonbanking financial institutions in Guangdong, which had
liabilities totaling more than 100 billion yuan.
August 30, 2004: Wang Qishan holds the Olympic flag at the
closing ceremony of the Athens Olympic Games.
In 2004, the Beijing Urban Master Plan was revised.
Wang had to consider how to cope with rapid population
growth within a limited urban environment. “How to deal
with the relationship between population, resources and
environment is a key point for the development of the
city,” Wang noted. (Click here for full text)
Confidence
May 10, 2011: Wang Qishan attends a signing ceremony of the
3rd China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue.
Wang served as head of the group tackling the financial
crisis under the State Council in 2008. He asserted that
China’s major task was to ensure economic growth and
employment and urge financial institutions to better serve
industry.
In 2008, Wang first headed a delegation to participate
in the China-U.S. Strategic Economic Dialogue. While
serving as Vice Premier of the State Council in charge of
China’s international financial issues, Wang maintained
close contact with leaders of European nations and the
United States as well as BRICS nations. (Click here for
full text)
Serve the people
January 7, 2003: Wang Qishan visits local residents facing
financial difficulties in Lingshui County, Hainan Province.
Wang’s sincerity comes from his love of the people. When
he was sent to the countryside as an “educated youth,”
Wang became close friends with many local farmers.
Since then, although he has changed positions many
times, he has maintained a great affection for farmers and
agriculture.
When he was mayor of Beijing, after a citizen called
him to report on a garbage problem, he remarked,
“Nothing is trifle when it comes to people’s interests. This
is my duty as mayor: to solve such issues which affect
thousands of households.” (Click here for full text)
Photo gallery
“Practical and Principled”
— Zhang Gaoli, Member of the Standing Committee of
the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee
As an experienced
e co n o m i c r ef o r m e r,
Zhang Gaoli stuck to
the principle of “setting
high standards and strict
requirements, keeping a
low-profile, doing practical
things and talking less,”
striving to achieve greater
accomplishments at an
even higher baseline.
During his five-year
tenure in Tianjin, he helped
the city regain its past glory
as one of the country’s
ma jor economic hubs.
(Click here for full text)
Down-to-earth style
and rigorous standards
June 18, 2008: Zhang Gaoli (L) discusses post-quake reconstruction with local officials of Wulipo
in Kangjiadong Village, Hanyuan Township, Ningqiang County, Shaanxi Province. Ningqiang
County was one of the hardest hit areas during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake and Tianjin’s paired
assistance area.
Born in Fujian Province and holding office successively in
Guangdong, Shenzhen, Shandong, and Tianjin, Zhang Gaoli
has always stayed close to the sea. He has kept an open mind
and always stayed at the forefront of reform and opening-up.
He keeps a low profile and sticks to the principle of “being
pragmatic, honest and working for the people.”
On November 15, 2012, 66-year-old Zhang became
member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau
of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee
at the First Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central
Committee, marking his entrance to China’s top leadership.
On November 21, 2012, Zhang left his post as
Party secretary of Tianjin. At a meeting of the Tianjin
government and Party leaders on that day, Zhang asserted
that he would continue “working for public interests and
exercising governance for the people, be pragmatic and
keep pace with the times, be hardworking and clean, and
make selfless contributions” in his new post.
Zhang especially stressed during the meeting that “all
Tianjin people and officials are welcome to continue
supervising me. In future, if anyone asks for favors in the
name of my family, relatives, friends, or staffers, regardless
of whether they are swindlers or really what they claim to
be, my attitude is the same: Don’t talk to them. Don’t give
them any face. Don’t do what they ask you to do. “
Zhang Gaoli has always
maintained a close
relationship with the
people, to whom he has
devoted himself to serving.
He has said that he wants
to be the ox, ploughing for
the masses, and a rock to
pave roads or build bridges
for the people.
June 26, 2008: Zhang Gaoli (R) seeks advice on 20 projects
concerning people’s livelihood and work of the Tianjin Municipal
CPC Committee from residents of the Teachers Village
Community on Yuexiulu Street, Hexi District, Tianjin.
He has zero tolerance for anyone who has used his
family name or has claimed to be his relative in order to
gain a favor. He works pragmatically, stays clean, and sets
equally rigorous standards for his colleagues. (Click here
for full text)
Experienced economic developer
June 1, 2005: Zhang Gaoli plays with a child during a visit to
Jinan Women and Children Activity Center, Shandong Province.
Farmer’s family and self-made success
March 9, 1984: Zhang Gaoli (middle) poses for a photo as he
inspects Maoming Petroleum Industrial Company of China
Petroleum Chemicals Corporation.
Zhang Gaoli’s was born into a farming family. His early
life was filled with hardship, but he stuck to his beliefs.
His farming background helped him gain a deeper
understanding of the people’s woes.
From a poor boy to China’s top official, Zhang’s
self-made success story was full of hardship, which he
considers to be the source of his strength and hope. (Click
here for full text)
Photo gallery