Zhang Dejiang facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Zhang Dejiang
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| 张德江 | |
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| 9th Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress | |
| In office 14 March 2013 – 17 March 2018 |
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| Vice Chairpersons |
See list
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| Secretary-General | Wang Chen |
| Preceded by | Wu Bangguo |
| Succeeded by | Li Zhanshu |
| Vice Premier of China | |
| In office 17 March 2008 – 16 March 2013 |
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| Premier | Wen Jiabao |
| Communist Party Secretary of Chongqing | |
| In office 15 March 2012 – 20 November 2012 |
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| Deputy | Huang Qifan (Mayor) |
| Preceded by | Bo Xilai |
| Succeeded by | Sun Zhengcai |
| Communist Party Secretary of Guangdong | |
| In office 24 December 2002 – 1 December 2007 |
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| Deputy | Lu Ruihua (Governor) Huang Huahua |
| Preceded by | Li Changchun |
| Succeeded by | Wang Yang |
| Communist Party Secretary of Zhejiang | |
| In office 16 September 1998 – 24 December 2002 |
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| Deputy | Chai Songyue (Governor) Xi Jinping |
| Preceded by | Li Zemin |
| Succeeded by | Xi Jinping |
| Communist Party Secretary of Jilin | |
| In office 6 June 1995 – 16 September 1998 |
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| Deputy | Wang Yunkun (Governor) |
| Preceded by | He Zhukang |
| Succeeded by | Wang Yunkun |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 4 November 1946 Tai'an County, Liaoning, Republic of China |
| Political party | Chinese Communist Party |
| Alma mater | Yanbian University Kim Il Sung University |
| Zhang Dejiang | |||||||||
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| Simplified Chinese | 张德江 | ||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 張德江 | ||||||||
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Zhang Dejiang (born November 4, 1946) is a Chinese politician who has retired from public service. He held important roles in the Chinese government. From 2013 to 2018, he was the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. He was also a top leader in the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party from 2012 to 2017.
Zhang served as the Party Secretary for the provinces of Jilin and Zhejiang between 1995 and 2002. Later, he became the Party Secretary of Guangdong. He was a vice premier from 2008 to 2013. In this role, he helped manage energy, telecommunications, and transportation. He was known for helping solve problems during disasters, like the 2011 Wenzhou train collision. In 2012, he briefly led the city of Chongqing.
In 2013, Zhang became a very high-ranking member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. He also became a key official for Hong Kong and Macau affairs. He retired from his top positions in 2017 and 2018.
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About Zhang Dejiang's Early Life
Zhang Dejiang was born in Tai'an County, Liaoning, China. He went to Yanbian University in Yanji, Jilin, where he learned the Korean language. He also studied economics at Kim Il Sung University in North Korea from 1978 to 1980.
Zhang Dejiang's Early Career
Starting in Jilin
In 1983, Zhang Dejiang began his political career. He became a deputy leader in the city of Yanji. In 1985, he was promoted to a higher role in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture. In 1986, he moved to the central government, working as a deputy minister in the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
Zhang became more well-known during the time of leader Jiang Zemin. He visited North Korea with Jiang Zemin in 1990. Soon after, he returned to Jilin province. He became the Party Secretary of Yanbian and a deputy leader for Jilin province. His experience with North Korea and managing people moving into China helped him advance. In 1995, he became the main leader of Jilin province.
Leading Zhejiang Province
In 1998, Zhang became the Party Secretary of Zhejiang province. He was popular with business owners there. He allowed private businesses to operate freely, as long as they followed the law.
Leading Guangdong Province
In November 2002, Zhang moved to Guangdong province to become its Party Secretary. He also joined the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party, a group of top leaders. In Guangdong, Zhang focused on making the economy more private, improving education, and helping people out of poverty.
Handling the SARS Outbreak
Zhang's time in Guangdong began just as the SARS health crisis started there. At first, information about SARS was limited to the public. Even though some people criticized the early handling of SARS, Zhang and other leaders in Guangdong were later praised. The World Health Organization and the central government recognized their efforts in controlling the virus and treating patients.
Boosting the Economy
When Zhang arrived in Guangdong, the province's economy was growing slower than some other coastal areas. Zhang made it a top goal to boost the economy. During his five years there, he worked to connect the economies of the Pearl River Delta region. He also looked into ways to increase economic ties between Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macau, and other nearby provinces.
Improving Health and Education
Zhang also started projects to make public health better. For example, he created a plan called "one medical station per village." This plan brought modern health services to villages that had never had them before. His success in health care was noticed by national health officials.
He also approved the "Education Town" project in Guangzhou, which started construction in 2003. This project aimed to create a large area for universities. The construction was finished very quickly.
Serving as Vice Premier
In 2008, Zhang Dejiang became a vice premier in the government led by Premier Wen Jiabao. As vice premier, he was in charge of China's energy, telecommunications, and transportation. He also led a special group focused on production safety.
Zhang was often sent to disaster sites to help manage relief efforts. He became a visible leader during these times. For example, he was the highest-ranking official at the site of the 2009 Heilongjiang mine explosion. He also led the team responding to the crash of Henan Airlines Flight 8387.
After the Wenzhou train collision in July 2011, Zhang was sent to Wenzhou. He was there to lead the search and rescue efforts.
Leading Chongqing City
In March 2012, Zhang was appointed to lead the city of Chongqing. This happened after the previous leader, Bo Xilai, was removed from his position. Zhang kept his role as vice premier while working in Chongqing. His appointment showed that he was trusted by top leaders to help stabilize the city during a sensitive time.
When he took office in Chongqing, Zhang quickly worked to reassure businesses. He wanted them to know that the city's economy would continue to grow. Local newspapers highlighted his experience. The mayor of Chongqing, Huang Qifan, also publicly supported Zhang. City officials were asked to focus on keeping society and politics stable.
Chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee
In November 2012, Zhang Dejiang became a member of the powerful Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. A few days later, Sun Zhengcai took over as the party secretary of Chongqing. On March 14, 2013, Zhang was chosen as the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. He took over from Wu Bangguo. In 2014, he was also named vice chairman of the new National Security Commission of the Chinese Communist Party.
Zhang also continued his work related to Korean affairs. He met with South Korean President Park Geun-hye in 2013 and visited Seoul in 2015.
Role in Hong Kong Affairs
After joining the Politburo Standing Committee, Zhang became the top leader for Hong Kong and Macau affairs. He was responsible for guiding policies related to these two special regions.
He supported the official view on electoral reform in Hong Kong. He also publicly supported the performance of Hong Kong's chief executive, Leung Chun-ying.
In May 2016, Zhang visited Hong Kong for three days. His visit had a very high level of security. He spoke at a conference about China's One Belt, One Road economic plan. In February 2017, reports said that Zhang met with members of Hong Kong's Election Committee. He reportedly told them that the top leaders supported Carrie Lam for the chief executive election.
Family Life
Zhang Dejiang is married to Xin Shusen. She was born in July 1949. Xin Shusen held important roles at the China Construction Bank. She was also a member of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
Images for kids
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Zhang Dejiang in May 2014.
See also
In Spanish: Zhang Dejiang para niños
