Zhang Guoqing

Zhang Guoqing (Chinese: 张国清; pinyin: Zhāng Guóqīng; born 13 August 1964) is a Chinese politician and former corporate executive who has served as vice premier of China since March 2023 and a member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party since October 2022.

Previously, Zhang served as the mayor of Tianjin, one of the four direct-controlled municipalities of China. An economics doctorate from Tsinghua University, Zhang had previously served as the Party Secretary of Liaoning, mayor of Chongqing, the chief executive of North Industries, a military contractor.

Zhang was born in 1964 in the town of Lingshan, Luoshan County, Henan province. He studied electrical engineering at the Changchun Institute of Optical Mechanics (now Changchun University of Science and Technology) and graduated in 1985. After graduating, he pursued a master's degree from the Nanjing University of Science and Technology in international trade.

Zhang worked at Norinco, a military supplier. He began work as a project manager, then worked in the company's operations in the Middle East, including a stint in the company's office in Tehran as the assistant to the general representative. He later became the deputy director and director of the Middle East region. In 1995, he became a deputy general manager of the company's International Trade Department. He was promoted to vice president in 1996, and by 1998, he had become the Party Secretary of the company, first-in-charge. He also became vice chairman and later chairman of the Board of China Wanbao Engineering Ltd.

In 1999, Zhang began work for the China North Industries Group Corporation as member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy General Manager. By April 2004 he was promoted to chief executive of North Industries. During this time he also earned a doctorate in economics from Tsinghua University. Between September and November 2001 he took part in an executive management course at Harvard Business School.

In 2007, Zhang was named an alternate of the 17th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, and was one of the youngest members with a seat on the body (he was only 42 at the time). During Zhang's tenure, the North Industries became the first military industry group to reach an annual 300 billion yuan operating revenue in 2011. By 2012, China North Industries had secured a place in the Fortune Global 500. In 2012, he became a full member of the 18th CCP Central Committee.

In April 2013, Zhang took on a political office for the first time in his life, and was named deputy party chief of Chongqing; three months later he also took on the role of president of the Chongqing party school, which is customary for deputy party chiefs of a jurisdiction. Along with Ma Xingrui, Zhang was the only provincial-level deputy party chief with a full seat on the 18th Central Committee.

In January 2016, during his inspection of the Chongqing State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, Zhang stated guidance should be provided based on the actual situation of state-owned enterprises. In April 2016, he paid an inspection trip to the Chongqing Chemical and Pharmaceutical Holding Company, he called on efforts to be made to steadily advance supply-side structural reforms. In December 2016, Zhang was appointed the acting mayor of Chongqing.