Wu Xueqian (1921.12.19-) Vice Premier, State Council of the People's Republic of China (1988.4-1993.3), Vice Chairman of National Committee of the 8thChinese People's Political Consultative Conference (elected in 1993), State Councilor (1983.6-1988.3) and foreign minister concurrently (1982.11-1988.4)

Born inShanghai, Wu Xueqian joined the Communist Party of China in June 1939.Before the founding of the People's Republic ofChina, he was engaged in the students' underground work of the Communist Party inShanghai, serving for a period of time as deputy secretary and acting secretary of the Shanghai Students' Committee of the Communist Party. In June 1949, he was designated representative of China National Federation of Democratic Youthto the World Federation of Democratic YouthinPrague. After the founding of the People's Republic ofChina, he served as Deputy Director General and Director General (1949-1958) of the International Liaison Department of the Central Committee of the Youth League (renamed as the Communist Youth League later), Director General (1958-1978) and Vice Minister (1978-1982) of the International Liaison Department of CCCPC, First Vice-Foreign Minister (1982.4-1982.11).During the period when he worked in the International Liaison Department of CCCPC, in the capacity of the representative of the China Subcommittee of the World Peace Conference, he attended the conference against atom bomb explosion inJapanseveral times, and developed people-to-people diplomacy by visiting African and West Asian countries which had not establish diplomatic relations withChina. During his tenures of state councilor and foreign minister, he paid visits to over 50 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, and America, including North Korea, Malaysia, Japan, Egypt, Kenya, Zambia, Romania, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, the US, Canada, Argentina, and Brazil, etc. In 1986, he paid visits toFinland,Sweden, andHungary, and respectively signed the Sino-Finland and Sino-Sweden Agreements on Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Tax Evasion, and the Sino-Hungarian Consular Treaty. He attended sessions of the UN General Assemblies (from 38thto 42nd), in the capacity of head of the Chinese delegation, State Councilor and Foreign Minister concurrently. During the 41stSession of the UN General Assembly, he reached the agreement with the foreign minister of the Soviet Union to restore the boundary negotiations at the level of vice foreign minister between the two countries in the next year. In 1985, he led the Chinese delegation toBandungto mark the 30thanniversary of the Bandung Conference and the 40thanniversary of the establishment of the UN. In 1986, at the special session of the UN General Assembly onNamibia, he reiterated the Chinese people stand to support firmly the just struggles of the South African people. In 1987, he expressed at theEconomic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)conference that China will further the economic and political relations with Latin American countries; and pointed out, in the Foreign Relationship Commission of the US in New York, three components for developing relations with the US, i.e. to further mutual understanding, to face up to the Taiwan question, and to develop equal and mutually beneficial economic cooperation. After he assumed the office of vice premier of the State Council, he led the Chinese delegation to observe the funeral of President Haq and paid a visit toPakistan. In 1989, he made a friendly visit toIndia. In 1990, he attended the independence celebration ofNamibiaand signed the Sino-Namibia Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations. In the same year, he visitedGabon,NigeriaandJapan, and attended theenthroning ceremony of Emperor Akihito. In 1991, he paid a visit toIndiaand observed the funeral ofRajiv Gandhi. In1992, he led the friendship delegation of the CPC toJapanto mark the 20thanniversary of the normalization of the Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations. He was member of the 12thand 13thCentral Committee of CPC. He was elected member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of CPC at the 5thPlenary Session of the 12thNational Party Congress and was member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of CPC during the 13thNational Party Congress.