Zhang Gaoli is endorsed as the vice-premier of China's State Council at the sixth plenary meeting of the first session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, capital of China, March 16, 2013. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING - The following is the biographical sketch of Zhang Gaoli:

Zhang Gaoli, born in November 1946, is a male ethnic Han from Jinjiang, Fujian Province. He entered the workforce in August 1970 and joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in December 1973. He graduated from the Department of Economics at Xiamen University with a major in planning and statistics.

He is currently a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, vice premier of the State Council, and deputy secretary of the State Council Leading Party Members' Group.

1965-1970 Student of planning and statistics major, Department of Economics, Xiamen University

1970-1971 Worker, Logistics Department, Guangdong Maoming Petroleum Company (GMPC) under the Ministry of Petroleum Industry

1971-1974 Secretary, Production Headquarters Office; secretary, the Communist Youth League (CYL) General Branch, Political Department; of GMPC

1974-1977 Deputy secretary, CYL committee; secretary, CPC General Branch; of GMPC

1977-1978 Secretary, CPC General Branch and political instructor of No. 1 Workshop, Oil Refinery Factory, of GMPC

1978-1980 Deputy secretary and secretary, Party Committee of the Oil Refinery Factory, of GMPC

1980-1983 Member, Standing Committee, Party Committee; chief, Planning Section; of GMPC

1983-1984 Member, Standing Committee, Party Committee; deputy manager; of GMPC

1984-1985 Deputy secretary, CPC Maoming Municipal Committee, Guangdong Province; manager, Maoming Petroleum Industrial Company, China Petroleum Chemicals Corporation

1985-1988 Director; and secretary, Leading Party Members' Group; of the Guangdong Provincial Economic Commission

1988-1992 Deputy governor, Guangdong Province (April-July, 1990: student, Further Studies Class for Provincial- and Ministerial-level Cadres, Central Party School)

1992-1993 Deputy governor, Guangdong Province; director; and secretary, Leading Party Members' Group; of the Guangdong Provincial Planning Commission

1993-1994 Member, Standing Committee, CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee; deputy governor, Guangdong Province; director; and secretary, Leading Party Members' Group; of the Guangdong Provincial Planning Commission

1994-1997 Member, Standing Committee, CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee; deputy governor, Guangdong Province; head, Leading Group for Planning and Coordination Work of the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone

1997-1998 Member, Standing Committee, CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee; deputy governor, Guangdong Province; secretary, CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee

1998-2000 Deputy secretary, CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee; secretary, CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee

2000-2001 Deputy secretary, CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee; secretary, CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee; chairman, Standing Committee, Shenzhen Municipal People's Congress

2001-2002 Deputy secretary, CPC Shandong Provincial Committee; acting governor and governor, Shandong Province

2002-2003 Secretary, CPC Shandong Provincial Committee; governor, Shandong Province

2003-2007 Secretary, CPC Shandong Provincial Committee; chairman, Standing Committee, Shandong Provincial People's Congress

2007-2007 Secretary, CPC Tianjin Municipal Committee

2007-2012 Member, Political Bureau, CPC Central Committee; secretary, CPC Tianjin Municipal Committee

2012-2013 Member, Standing Committee, Political Bureau, CPC Central Committee; secretary, CPC Tianjin Municipal Committee (until November 2012)

2013- Member, Standing Committee, Political Bureau, CPC Central Committee; vice premier, State Council; deputy secretary, Leading Party Members' Group, State Council

Alternate member, Fifteenth CPC Central Committee; member, Sixteenth, Seventeenth and Eighteenth CPC Central Committees; member, Political Bureau, Seventeenth CPC Central Committee; member, Political Bureau and its Standing Committee, Eighteenth CPC Central Committee.