Wang Qishan facts for kids
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Wang Qishan (born 19 July 1948) is a Chinese retired politician. He was a very important member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which is the main political party in China.
Wang became well-known in China's financial world in the late 1980s. He later became the governor of the China Construction Bank. He also held important roles in different regions, like being the vice governor of Guangdong and the mayor of Beijing. From 2008 to 2013, he served as a Vice Premier, a high-ranking government official, in charge of finance and business.
Between 2012 and 2017, Wang led the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. This is the CCP's group that checks on its own members and fights against corruption. He played a key role in President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption efforts. Many people saw him as one of Xi's closest political friends. From 2018 to 2023, he was the Vice President of China. In this role, he was a leading figure in China's foreign relations.
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Early Life and Education
Wang Qishan was born in Qingdao, Shandong province. His family's ancestral home is in Tianzhen, Shanxi. After finishing high school, Wang worked in the countryside. He did manual labor with farmers in Yan'an, a historic area. There, he met and became friends with Xi Jinping.
In 1973, Wang was accepted into Northwest University in Xi'an. He studied history and graduated in 1976. While in Yan'an, Wang met Yao Mingshan, who was the daughter of Yao Yilin. They later got married. After graduating, Wang worked at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He researched Chinese history from the 1800s onwards.
In 1982, Wang's political career began. His father-in-law, Yao Yilin, became an important member of the Central Secretariat. Wang then started working in the Secretariat's office, focusing on rural policy research.
Career in Finance and Government
From 1982 to 1988, Wang worked in different roles related to policy research. In 1988, he became the chief executive of the Agricultural Investment Trust of China. A year later, he was made Vice Governor at China Construction Bank. Wang became the Governor of the China Construction Bank in 1994 and served until 1997. During this time, he helped set up China's first investment bank, the China International Capital Corp (CICC). He was also its first executive chairman.
In 1997, Wang moved to Guangdong province to become its Executive Vice Governor. This was one of the highest positions in the provincial government. During the Asian Financial Crisis, Wang helped manage financial problems for state-owned companies in the province. In 2000, Wang returned to Beijing. He became known as a "financial specialist" in Premier Zhu Rongji's government. Later, Wang became the chief of the General Office for the State Economic Structural Reform Commission. In 2002, Wang Qishan became the Party Secretary of Hainan province.
Mayor of Beijing and Vice Premier
Wang became the Mayor of Beijing in spring 2003. He took over from the previous mayor when the SARS outbreak hit the city. At that time, Wang had only been the Party Secretary in Hainan for five months. When he arrived in Beijing, Wang decided to be open about information on SARS. Unlike the previous administration, he made sure daily press releases were given to the public about the latest SARS information.
Wang was officially confirmed as Mayor of Beijing in early 2004. As mayor, he also served as the executive chair for the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG). In 2005, Wang apologized on a local radio show for a natural gas shortage in the city. This action was praised by the media and helped people feel closer to government officials. Wang was known for being honest and responsible.
In 2007, Wang was appointed as a member of the 17th Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party. In 2008, he became a Vice Premier in Wen Jiabao's government. He was in charge of finance and commerce. In 2009, President Hu Jintao chose Wang to lead the Chinese side in important economic talks with the United States.
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Wang was recognized as one of the most influential people in the world in the 2009 Time 100 list.
Leading the Anti-Corruption Campaign
In 2012, Wang became a member of the Politburo Standing Committee. This group is considered the highest level of power in China. He took on the role of Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. This is the party's main body for fighting corruption. Xi Jinping became the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party at the same time. This appointment was a bit of a surprise because Wang had more experience in finance.
Wang's role in fighting corruption was partly due to his friendship with Xi Jinping. They were friends from their youth. They even shared a bunk bed when they were doing manual labor in Shaanxi province during the Cultural Revolution. Wang also lent Xi books about economics.
Starting in late 2012, Wang became the public face of Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign. This was the biggest campaign of its kind since China was founded in 1949. Wang was very important in making it happen. He also led the Central Leading Group for Inspection Work. This group sent teams to different provinces and state-owned companies to find and stop corruption. After 2012, many people saw Wang as the second most powerful person in China, after Xi.
Wang became popular with the media. In October 2015, the anti-corruption body under Wang's leadership released new rules for party members. These rules aimed to make it easier for the party to discipline its members and reduce corruption. Wang also introduced rules for the anti-corruption officials themselves. His work against corruption earned him praise within the party.
Wang made the anti-corruption commission stronger. Local branches of the commission had to report their investigations to both the local party committee and the higher-level commission. This helped prevent local party leaders from interfering.
Vice President of China
Wang left the Politburo Standing Committee in October 2017. In March 2018, he became the Vice President of China. He was the first vice president since 1998 to hold only this title without other party jobs.
As Vice President, Wang took part in many diplomatic activities. He attended the inauguration ceremonies for the presidents of South Korea, the Philippines, and Brazil. He also attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
Wang Qishan retired from politics in March 2023. Han Zheng then became the new Vice President of China.
Post-Retirement Activities
On 10 October 2024, Wang Qishan was succeeded by Han Zheng as the honorary president of the Red Cross Society of China. In October 2024, he also became the honorary chairman of the advisory board for the Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management, taking over from Zhu Rongji.
Personal Life
Wang is married to Yao Mingshan. She is the daughter of former first Vice Premier of China Yao Yilin. Wang and Yao do not have children of their own.
Former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson described Wang as "decisive and inquisitive." Paulson also said Wang is "an avid historian, enjoys philosophical debates and has a wicked sense of humor." Paulson wrote that Wang is a Chinese patriot who understands the U.S. and knows that both countries benefit from each other's economic success. He added that Wang is bold and takes on challenges, doing things that have never been done before. Paulson mentioned that Wang managed a very large financial restructuring in China in 1998, which helped prevent a banking crisis.
Wang is a fan of the American television series House of Cards. He often mentioned the show during anti-corruption meetings. He said he was especially interested in the role of the party whip. He has also watched some Korean dramas. Wang said that Korean dramas are ahead of China's, but their core ideas come from traditional Chinese culture.
Images for kids
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Wang in 2019
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"Wang Qishan" in Chinese characters
See also
In Spanish: Wang Qishan para niños
