Ma Kai 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 Ma Kai:

Ma Kai, born in June 1946, is a male ethnic Han from Shanghai. He entered the workforce in September 1965 and joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in August 1965. He graduated from the Department of Political Economics at Renmin University of China with a major in political economics and holds the degree of Master of Economics.

He is currently a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, vice premier of the State Council, and a member of the Leading Party Members' Group of the State Council. He is also secretary of the Working Committee of Organs Directly Under the State Council, and president of the Chinese Academy of Governance.

1965-1970 Teacher, Beijing No. 4 Secondary School

1970-1973 Worker, Xicheng District May 7 Cadre School, Beijing

1973-1979 Teacher, Party School, CPC Xicheng District Committee, Beijing (1978-1979: took training course in theory at the Party School of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee)

1979-1982 Studied political economics at the Department of Political Economics at Renmin University of China for a master's degree

1982-1983 Assistant researcher, Institute of Price, State Administration of Commodity Prices

1983-1984 Deputy director, Planning Commission and Financial and Economic Affairs Committee; director, Planning Commission (appointed in March 1984); of Xicheng District, Beijing

1984-1985 Deputy head, Xicheng District, Beijing; and concurrently director of its Planning Commission

1985-1986 Deputy director, Beijing Municipal Office for Economic Structural Reform

1986-1988 Director; and secretary, Leading Party Members' Group; of the Beijing Municipal Administration of Commodity Prices

1988-1993 Deputy director; and member, Leading Party Members' Group; of the State Administration of Commodity Prices (09/1992-11/1992: studied in the Further Studies Class for Provincial- and Ministerial-level Cadres at the Central Party School)

1993-1995 Deputy director; and member, Leading Party Members' Group; of the State Commission for Economic Structural Reform

1995-1998 Vice Minister; and member, Leading Party Members' Group; of the State Planning Commission (March-May 1997: studied in the Further Studies Class for Provincial- and Ministerial-level Cadres at the Central Party School)

1998-2000 Deputy secretary-general, State Council; and member, Leading Party Members' Group Under the State Council

2000-2003 Deputy secretary-general at the ministerial level responsible for the routine work of the General Office of the State Council; deputy secretary, Leading Party Members' Group Under the State Council

2003-2008 Minister; and secretary, Leading Party Members' Group; of the State Development and Reform Commission; director, Office, Leading Group for Development of the Western Region, State Council (appointed in May 2003); director, Office, State Leading Group on Energy (appointed in April 2005)

2008-2012 State councilor; member, State Council Leading Party Members' Group and concurrently secretary-general of the State Council and secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group Under the State Council; secretary, Working Committee of Organs Directly Under the State Council; president, Chinese Academy of Governance

2012-2013 Member, Political Bureau, CPC Central Committee; state councilor; member, State Council Leading Party Members' Group and concurrently secretary-general of the State Council and secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group Under the State Council; secretary, Working Committee of Organs Directly Under the State Council; president, Chinese Academy of Governance

2013- Member, Political Bureau, CPC Central Committee; vice premier of the State Council; member, Leading Party Members' Group, State Council; secretary, Working Committee of Organs Directly Under the State Council; president, Chinese Academy of Governance

Member, Sixteenth through Eighteenth CPC Central Committees; member, Political Bureau, Eighteenth CPC Central Committee; member, Fifteenth Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.