Jia Qinglin

Infobox President
name = Jia Qinglin
贾庆林


nationality = Chinese
order = 7th Chairman of the CPPCC
term_start = March 2003
term_end =
predecessor = Li Ruihuan
successor = "incumbent"
order2 = Mayor of Beijing
term_start2 = 1997
term_end2 = 1999
predecessor2 = Li Qiyan
successor2 = Liu Qi
birth_date = 1940
birth_place = Botou, Hebei
death_date =
death_place =
spouse = Lin Youfang
party = Communist Party of China
alma_mater = Hebei University of Technology
profession = Engineer

Jia Qinglin (zh-stp |s=贾庆林 |t=賈慶林 |p=Jiǎ Qìnglín; POJ: Ka Kheng-lim, born March 1940 in Botou, Hebei Province) is the fourth ranking member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China, and the Chairman of the People's Political Consultative Conference. Jia's functions as the head of China's consultive legislative body are largely ceremonial in nature. Earlier he had served as the CPC Party Chief in the country's southern Fujian province, and also as Mayor of Beijing.

Political career

Jia was born in Botou, Hebei. An engineer by profession, and one of former President Jiang Zemin's trusted allies and protege, Jia Qinglin's rise in the politburo has been attributed due to his relationship with the former chief of state. Jia was pivotal in dealing with the Xiamen smuggling cases in the early 1990s as the Party chief in Fujian involving millionaire Lai Changxing, and some suggested Jia and his family were involved in the case. In addition, because his family was known to be involved in various smuggling and corruption scandals, his public image in Fujian has been very negative, and his approval ratings dismal. Jia was transferred to Beijing in 1996 to replace then Beijing Party-chief Chen Xitong who had been arrested on charges of corruption. Jia served as the acting Mayor, Mayor and Party Chief in Beijing, coming onto the national and international spotlight during the 50th Anniversary of PRC celebrations as the event's host.

At the national level

Because of his high local position and his ties with then-President Jiang Zemin, in November 2002 Jia became the fourth-ranking member on the powerful Politburo Standing Committee (PSC) of the Communist Party of China. Although his ceremonial role as the Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, a quasi-consultative upper house in China's political system, makes him fourth in the order of precedence, it is widely accepted that the position has very little power, perhaps the least amount of power in the nine PSC members. Jia Qinglin was the most senior Chinese official to attend the funeral of Zhao Ziyang. With the transition of authority to Hu Jintao in 2005, Jia appears to have been given the job of coordinating policy on Taiwan.

Jia was reelected to the 17th Politburo Standing Committee during the CPC 17th national congress, a move that analysts predicted partly because of Jia's loyalty to his patron Jiang Zemin.

Career timeline

1956-1958: Student majoring in industrial enterprise planning at Shijiazhuang Industrial Management School.

1958-1962: Student majoring in electric motor and appliance design and manufacture of the Department of Electric Power of Hebei institution of Technology(now Hebei University of Technology).

1962-1969: Technician of the Complete Plant Bureau of the First Machine-Building Industry Ministry and deputy secretary of its CYLC organization.

1969-1971: Did manual work in the May 7th Cadre School of the First Machine-Building Industry Ministry in Fengxin County, Jiangxi Province.

1971-1973: Technician of the Policy Research Office of the General Office of the First Machine-Building Industry Ministry.

1973-1978: Chief of the Product Management Bureau of the First Ministry of Machine-building Industry.

1978-1983: General manager of China National Machinery and Equipment Import and Export Corporation.

1983-1985: Director of Taiyuan Heavy Machinery Plant and secretary of its Party committee.

1985-1986: Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and its deputy secretary.

1986-1988: Deputy secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and head of the Organization Department of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee.

1988-1990: Deputy secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee, president of the Party School of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and secretary of the Work Committee of Departments under the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee.

1990-1991: Deputy secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee, deputy governor and acting governor of Fujian Province.

1991-1993: Deputy secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and governor of Fujian Province.

1993-1994: Secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and governor of Fujian Province.

1994-1996: Secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and chairman of the Standing Committee of the Fujian Provincial People's Congress.

1996-1997: Deputy secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, vice-mayor, acting mayor and mayor of Beijing.

1997-1999: Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and mayor of Beijing.

1999-2002: Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee.

2002-: Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

March 2003: Elected chairman of the 10th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

ource

* [http://english.people.com.cn/data/people/jiaqinglin.shtml People's Daily Online]

ee also

* Politics of the People's Republic of China

External links

* [http://www.chinavitae.com/biography_display.php?id=22 Jia Qinglin biography @ China Vitae]