1. Zhang Gaoli is a Chinese retired politician who served as the first-ranking vice premier of China between 2013 and 2018, and as the seventh-ranking member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party between 2012 and 2017.
22 Facts About Zhang Gaoli
1. 2.
Zhang Gaoli was born in a village in Jinjiang County, Fujian, to a family of farmers.
3.
Zhang Gaoli's father died when he was three years old.
4.
In 1984, Zhang Gaoli was named deputy party secretary of Maoming.
5.
Zhang Gaoli served in roles such as the head of the coordination agency in charge of developing the Pearl River Delta and the head of the provincial planning agency.
6.
Zhang Gaoli served under then-provincial party secretary Li Changchun and alongside executive vice governor Wang Qishan.
7.
Zhang Gaoli was said to have frequently visited and tended to the needs of party veteran Xi Zhongxun, the father of Xi Jinping.
8.
In late 2001, Zhang Gaoli was transferred to the eastern coastal province of Shandong to become governor and deputy provincial party secretary.
9.
Observers speculated that Zhang Gaoli would become a member of the "fifth generation" of leadership.
10.
On 15 March 2013, at the 1st session of the 12th National People's Congress, Zhang Gaoli was appointed the first-ranking Vice Premier to the cabinet led by Premier Li Keqiang.
11.
Zhang Gaoli was put in charge of two mega projects, the Three Gorges Dam project, and the South-North Water Transfer Project.
12.
Zhang Gaoli was named head of the Commission on Food Safety of the State Council.
13.
Zhang Gaoli was named the leader of the Leading Group for Coordinating the Joint Development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, the leader of the Leading Group for Advancing the Development of the Yangtze River Delta, and in April 2015, the leader of the Leading Group for the Transformation of the State Council.
14.
Zhang Gaoli was the deputy leader of the Central Leading Group for Comprehensively Deepening Reforms, a member of the Leading Group for Financial and Economic Affairs.
15.
Zhang Gaoli retired from the PSC after the 19th CCP National Congress in 2017.
16.
Zhang Gaoli stepped down as first-ranking vice premier in 2018 at the 1st session 13th National People's Congress, and was succeeded by Han Zheng.
17.
Zhang Gaoli is married to Kang Jie, whom he met while working in the oil company in Maoming.
18.
Zhang Gaoli has an adopted daughter Zhang Xiaoyan, who is the biological daughter of his cousin.
19.
Zhang Gaoli Xiaoyan is married to Li Shengpo, the son of Hong Kong businessman Lee Yin Yee of Xinyi Glass.
20.
When serving in Shenzhen, his elder brother visited him but Zhang Gaoli was said to have told his brother that he was too busy to see him.
21.
Zhang Gaoli said that later, about three years ago after Zhang had retired from PSC, she and Zhang met again.
22.
The extramarital affair broke down on 2 November 2021, after Zhang Gaoli started to ignore Peng.