Communist Youth League economist who served as premier under Xi Jinping from 2013 to 2023
Born in Hefei, Anhui, in 1955, he was sent down to the countryside in Fengyang County and joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1976. When university entrance examinations resumed in 1977 he entered the law department of Peking University, where he later earned a doctorate in economics. Noticed by Hu Jintao, he became first secretary of the Communist Youth League in 1993, then governor and party secretary of Henan and party secretary of Liaoning. He joined the Politburo Standing Committee in 2007 and became first-ranked vice-premier in 2008. As premier from 2013 he sought to shift growth from exports to domestic consumption and championed the Shanghai Free-Trade Zone and "mass entrepreneurship and innovation", yet as power gathered around Xi Jinping the premiership was seen as increasingly hollowed out. He gave way to Li Qiang in March 2023 and died of a heart attack that October.
Activities and affiliations
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1976–2023
Political and party leadership
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2013–2023
People’s Republic of China state institutionsPremier of the State CouncilHeads of state, government and party of ChinaMain
Political and party leadership
Career Timeline
- 1974.03Sent down to Damiao commune, Fengyang County, Anhui
- 1976.05Joined the Chinese Communist Party
- 1976.11–1978.03Party branch secretary of Damiao brigade
- 1978.03–1982.02Law department of Peking University
- 1993–1998First Secretary of the Communist Youth League
- 1998.06–2004Governor, then Party Secretary of Henan
- 2004–2007Party Secretary of Liaoning
- 2007.10–2022.10Member of the Politburo Standing Committee
- 2008.03–2013.03First-ranked Vice-Premier
- 2013.03.15–2023.03.11Premier of the State Council