Wu Yi (politician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wu Yi
吴仪
Wu in 2004
First-ranked Vice Premier of China
In office 2 June 2007 – 17 March 2008
Premier	Wen Jiabao
Preceded by	Huang Ju
Succeeded by	Li Keqiang
Vice Premier of China
In office 17 March 2003 – 17 March 2008 Serving with Huang Ju, Zeng Peiyan, and Hui Liangyu
Premier	Wen Jiabao
State Councilor of China
In office 18 March 1998 – 16 March 2003
Premier	Zhu Rongji
Minister of Health
In office April 2003 – April 2005
Premier	Wen Jiabao
Preceded by	Zhang Wenkang
Succeeded by	Gao Qiang
Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation
In office March 1993 – March 1998
Premier	Li Peng
Preceded by	Li Lanqing
Succeeded by	Shi Guangsheng
Personal details
Born	November 1938 (age 86) Wuhan, Republic of China
Political party	Chinese Communist Party (1962–)
Alma mater	China University of Petroleum

Wu Yi (born in November 1938) is a Chinese politician who is now retired. She served as a Vice Premier of China from 2003 to 2008. A Vice Premier is like a very important assistant to the country's leader.

During the early 2000s, Wu Yi was one of China's most well-known leaders. She became famous for taking on the role of Minister of Health in April 2003. This happened during the serious SARS outbreak, soon after she became Vice Premier. She was also a member of the Politburo, which is a top decision-making group in the Chinese Communist Party.

After her time in government, she retired from public life. Chinese media often called her the "iron lady" because she was known for being a very strong and skilled negotiator, especially with other countries.

Wu Yi with US Secretary of State Colin Powell

Early Life and Education

Wu Yi was born in November 1938 in Wuhan, China. She came from a family of educated people. Her family's roots are in Huangmei County in Hubei province. She was the younger of two children.

Sadly, her parents passed away when she was young. Her older brother, who was eight years older, raised her. In April 1962, she joined the Chinese Communist Party. In August of the same year, she finished her studies at the Beijing Petroleum Institute. She earned a degree in petroleum engineering, which is about how to find and use oil.

She spent a lot of her early career working as a petroleum technician. This means she worked with the technical side of oil production. She eventually became a deputy manager at an oil refinery in Beijing. Later, she was an assistant manager and party secretary at a large petrochemical company.

Political Career and Key Roles

Wu Yi started her political career in 1988 when she was chosen as a deputy mayor of Beijing. She held this important job until 1991. During a difficult time in 1989, she helped calm a situation involving coal workers.

From 1991 to 1998, she held several important roles. She was a Deputy Minister and then the Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation. This meant she helped manage China's business dealings with other countries. She also became a member of important committees within the Chinese Communist Party.

Becoming a State Councilor

In 1998, Wu Yi became a State Councilor. This is a high-ranking position in the Chinese government. She was seen as a trusted colleague of Zhu Rongji, who was a top leader at the time.

In March 2003, she was appointed Vice Premier of the State Council in Wen Jiabao's government. She was the first woman to hold this powerful position since China began its economic reforms in 1978. Many people believed she was the most powerful woman in Chinese politics since Mao's wife, Jiang Qing.

International Trade and SARS Crisis

Wu Yi played a big part in China joining the World Trade Organization (WTO). The WTO is an international group that helps countries trade fairly. She also helped to improve China's customs service. This was after other countries, especially the U.S., had concerns about companies not respecting rules for things like music and movies.

During the SARS health crisis in 2003, Wu Yi took over as health minister. She led a special team to deal with the crisis. She was praised around the world for how well she handled the situation. Time magazine even called her the "Goddess of Transparency" for her leadership during SARS. She was also named one of the 100 Most Influential People in 2004 by Time.

Later Career and Retirement

In 2007, another senior Vice Premier, Huang Ju, became ill. Wu Yi took over some of his duties, especially in the financial sector. After Huang Ju passed away in June 2007, Wu Yi became the most senior-ranked Vice Premier. Also in 2007, she was chosen to lead a committee that checked the quality of consumer goods and food safety.

There was some talk that Wu Yi might continue working even though she had reached the usual retirement age of 68. However, at a meeting in late 2007, she said she planned to "retire completely." She said she would not take on any more official jobs. She even joked that she wanted everyone to simply forget about her.

In her last few months in office, she worked on talks with the U.S. toy company Mattel. These talks were about lead in toys, which had caused problems for Chinese-made products. In early 2008, Wu Yi shared that her own salary was about $17,600 per year at the time. She told business leaders that they should only "take money from the right places."

Wu Yi officially retired from politics in March 2008 when she stepped down as Vice Premier.

Images for kids

• 

  Wu in 2004

See also

In Spanish: Wu Yi para niños