Wu Bangguo

Wu was born in 22 July 1941, in Pingba,Guizhou,^[1][2] with ancestral roots in Feidong, Anhui. His father Wu Zhongxing was a cartographer working on map projection.^[3] He entered Tsinghua University in 1960, majoring in electron tube engineering at the Department of Radio Electronics, where he graduated in 1967.^[4] He joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1964.^[5] After graduation, he was employed as a worker and technician at Shanghai's No. 3 Electronic Tube Factory, and then deputy chief and chief of the technical section from 1976 to 1978. He would eventually go on to lead the factory as its party secretary. In 1978 he was assigned to become the deputy manager of Shanghai Electronic Elements Company, and between 1979 and 1981 the deputy manager of Shanghai Electron Tube Company. Between 1981 and 1983 he worked as the deputy secretary of Shanghai Meters, Instruments and Telecommunications Bureau.

Wu's work in electronics companies earned him a tenure in the city's upper echelons of power. He became part of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai party committee in 1983, effectively becoming part of Shanghai's political inner circle, and was put in charge of work related to science and technology.^[5] During this time, he worked with Jiang Zemin, who was mayor and later the CCP secretary of the city.^[5] Between 1985 and 1991, Wu was elevated to CCP deputy secretary of Shanghai, and subsequently as CCP secretary of Shanghai, succeeding Jiang. During his tenure in Shanghai, he was seen as the official most responsible for developing the Pudong New Area.^[4]

As Shanghai's political and economic stature grew due to economic reforms, Wu gained a seat on the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party, China's ruling council, in 1992. He was subsequently appointed the third-ranking vice premier in 1995 under premier Li Peng. During this period, he served in a portfolio dealing with industry and reforming state-owned enterprises, and also oversaw the Three Gorges Dam.^[5] He continued as vice premier under Zhu Rongji, and served as the role until 2003.^{[citation needed]}

At the 16th Party Congress in November 2002, Wu entered the highest power elite in the country, ranking second in the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, only under then general secretary Hu Jintao. In 2003, at the first session of the 10th National People's Congress, he was appointed as the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. At the first session of the 11th National People's Congress, he was re-elected as Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee on 15 March 2008,^[6] becoming the first person to serve as the NPCSC Chair for more than two terms since Zhu De.^[7]

During his tenure, Wu was generally regarded as a member of the Shanghai clique and an associate of Jiang Zemin,^[8] generally taking a conservative approach towards reform.^[5][8] He was also described as having a low-key profile during his time in office.^[8]

 

During a speech about the Hong Kong Basic Law in the territory in June 2007, Wu warned that Hong Kong will only have as much authority as granted from Beijing, and that the Special Administrative Region's government is an executive-led model and should not blindly follow Western systems.^[9] He also stated that the Central Government supported Hong Kong's development of democracy, so long as it is within the boundaries of the Hong Kong Basic Law. Although the remarks were left open to interpretation, they generated significant controversy in Hong Kong, with pro-democracy politicians calling it a challenge on the autonomy of the territory.^[9]

In his capacity as NPCSC chair, Wu delivered an annual address each year at the National People's Congress sessions in March. These speeches have always noted that China will not adopt multiparty democracy, separation of powers, or a federal system.^[10] In 2011, Wu proposed the "five don'ts (五不搞) by declaring that "[w]e have made a solemn declaration that we will not employ a system of multiple parties holding office in rotation, diversification of guiding ideology, separation of powers and bicameralism, federalism or privatization".^[10]

On 16 July 2012, Wu attended the launch ceremony of Shenzhou 9 crewed spacecraft.^[11]

Wu retired from the CCP Politburo Standing Committee at the 18th Party Congress in November 2012, and was succeeded as NPCSC chairman by Zhang Dejiang in March 2013.^[8] In his last speech as the NPCSC chair, he said that "we will absolutely not copy models in the Western political system".^[4]

Similar to other retired top-ranking officials in China, Wu stopped making public appearances except to attend important events such as the National Day celebration. In March 2015, Wu was pictured visiting a rapeseed farm in Wuyuan, Jiangxi province.^[8]

Wu died at 4:36 am on 8 October 2024, at the age of 83.^[4] A farewell ceremony was held on 14 October; Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi, Han Zheng and other leaders paid their final respects at the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery, while Hu Jintao sent a wreath. His body was cremated on the same day.^[12] National flags were flown at half-mast at Chinese government buildings, diplomatic missions, and in Hong Kong and Macau.^[13]

• Wu Bangguo biography at China Vitae (online database of Chinese officials)